Ancient Hill Fort & Outlander Location - Falkland Hill, Scotland + Painting a Blackbird
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- čas přidán 23. 08. 2024
- Thank you for joining me on this walk! We are back home in Fife this week, after an amazing road trip around Skye and we decided to go up our local hill - Falkland or East Lomond Hill.
Usually you get some great views from the top, but today it was more dreich (grey & misty), but very atmospheric. It made for very dramatic scenes as we explore the remains of an ancient hill fort, before walking around the beautiful Falkland village, which has hosted the likes of Mary Queen of Scots and the cast of Outlander!
A common but beautiful sight during spring - I chose to paint a male blackbird with his striking yellow ringed eye and shining black feathers.
If you enjoyed this video and you haven't already, please check out my other videos - including the three special Skye episodes, where we explore some incredible scenery. Join me again next week as we explore somewhere else in Scotland and look for painting inspiration...
SHE WALKS:
Distance Walked: 4.3 miles / 6.9 km
My Gear:
Scarpa GTX Walking Boots
Mountain Equipment 'Hispar' Fleece
Acai Midweight Trousers
Lowe Alpine 'Aeon' 25L rucksack
Hat - Hand Knitted for me by Willie's Aunty Sandra
SHE PAINTS:
Total Painting Time: approx 8 hours
Materials Used:
Arches 300gsm 100% cotton Watercolour Paper
Windsor& Newton 'Cotman' brushes in size 00
Dyffle Watercolour Pens
Check out my Etsy store for fine art prints of all my paintings!
Link below:
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You can find me on Instagram for more walking and painting updates - @SheWalksShePaints
/ shewalksshepaints
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I am part of the team at Scottish history & treasure hunting channel - 'Dirty Secrets of Scotland' along with my partner, Willie. If you liked this video - head across and check out what we do there too :)
/ @dirtysecretsofscotland
Thank you for watching!! If you want to support my channel, here are the links:
My Etsy Store:
www.etsy.com/uk/shop/SheWalksShePaints
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who would have thought a black bird was so colorful? I love the cheeky eyes! And the calls. The Scottish birds are so colorful!
Aww thanks Mary!! So glad you liked it 😊
Jack is such funny character. I like how he leads you up the hill but always comes back to make sure you are there. It sounds a little windy and looks chilly at the top. What a view and what history. Great walk.
Thanks Wendy! Yeah, Jack is always running back to check where I am and tell me to hurry up haha!
The stonework of the village is beautiful! Thanks Sarah, Willie and Jack! 💕💕WV🇺🇸
Thanks Lynette! Yes the village is so lovely - glad you like it 😊
Another fascinating and enjoyable episode. Well done Sarah, not forgetting Willie and Jack's contributions
Thank you Ivan!!
Magnificent blackbird ♥️
Thank you Sherry!
The black bird came out beautiful. I love your walks, and the information you share. Keep walking and painting. Thanks so much!
This was a beautiful walk. I loved seeing the village and the pretty birds eating the cake crumbs.
Thanks Penny!! Yeah we love seeing the birdies eating the crumbs too 😊
Those 'Larch Roses' look beautiful, certainly a contender for a painting. A beautiful painting of the Blackbird though and loved the walk of Falkland hill and the village
Thanks Brett!! I did think that too - they would make for a gray painting. I just felt compelled to paint the blackbird this week for some reason! Maybe on another walk…🤔
I used to jog for miles the walked miles not I can just walk walk across my house. It is such a pleasure to watch you and Jack Spaniel take your walks through the countryside. Would love to do it again as well.
I love your paintings as well. Bless You. This is such an incredible place
Amazing fifty shades of black 🤩👌
I've travelled past Falkland a few times but never stopped - wish I had now it really is a stunning looking village. I'm currently lying on the couch with my feet up as my legs decided to start having sympath cramps as you were climbing those steps! Even with the mist the views from the top were well worth it and Willies drone shots were fantastic as always. I think Jack may be trying to develop some mental powers - the way he was staring intently at that stick and the tennis ball willing them to move (or to make you pick them up and throw them)!
I love blackbirds. When the light is just right they are so black it makes me think of a hole in reality - perhaps that is where some of the old tales about them come from. I'm currently getting early morning (04:30ish) calls from various birds taking turns to sing right outside my window. It sort of gets you in the right mood to appreciate the day.
I wasn't sure if I would like the painting as you were going through it, the breast just seemed far too light but you were right (as usual) and it turned out lovely.
Really looking forward to the next adventure.
Thanks Dave!! So glad you liked it. Highly recommend a day (or more!) exploring Falkland. During much of the past two years, it was the only place we could go with hills, so I got very familiar with all the different routes. All really brilliant 😊
Thank you so very much for sharing the Beautiful senerie, and you are so very very talented at painting.
Thanks again for sharing part of your life. Be safe, Be Happy
Thank you Shannon! So glad you liked it :)
I was initially disappointed you were doing the black bird as I love the more colorful birds best. But, as I watched the blackbird develop, I absolutely saw the beauty in the different tones. Well done!
You must have some amazing leg muscles! I about croaked just watching you on those stairs! Of course, Jack and his stick! Hilarious! Beautiful scenery as always!
Thanks Terri! Don't worry - there will be plenty more opportunities to paint the colourful birdies too :) I think I was just drawn to the blackbird because they are all out singing so much at the moment! One of my favourite things about spring is the birdsong :)
Sarah, another magnificent painting. You captured the bird's feathers incredibly. They almost look like velvet. Willie, your aerial photography is fantastic! Jack Spaniels, you always brighten up my day, you are such a handsome fellow. 👍🥰🐕🇺🇸
Thank you Guadalupe!! We are so glad that you enjoy these videos 😊
I enjoyed the village walk in this episode.
Beautiful blackbird ❤️
I'd love a painting of you, willie, and Jack. I feel you like friends
Lovely. Great hike up the hill with Jack doing a great many more steps than the human 😄 lovely village and coffee and cake treat as a reward. Your painting is beautiful, and Willie's music completes a lovely video. Thanks Sarah..... Alioban
Hi, loved this weeks trek, it seems so exhilarating making your way up to the clouds and the Pictish fort.
What a view! And so much to see - the spring birds and flowers, the Larch Roses are so cute. A wonderful day out. PS Jack is so adorable. Have a great week, stay safe xx
Thank you Cate!! I loved this walk - I’ve done it in all kinds of weather but never this atmospheric 😊
Gorgeous village walk and hill walk.. Loved the story of Johnny Cash and Willies reference to him with his music. The Man In Black and the Bird in Black :)
Love the birds! Thanks for sharing.
Great outing and your gift at painting is phenomenal 🙏
Thank you so much Jill!!
Happy to see more of Falkland estate. The hill is rather mountainous and the Springtime view ( even cold and cloudy) is stunning. The fortress site is quite a secure defensive position, no wonder the ancestors built there. The history that transpired there is astounding to try to imagine. Quaint and cozy village. The shops looked welcoming and enjoyable. Nice lunch! Would be a pig there snd eat plenty of those goodies. The bird footage today was very nice and welcomed here by this bird lover. I knew of the Blackbird omen, yet that Blackbird is adorable, it’s movement is like that of the American Robin. Your naturalist eye and artistic skill brought the lucky bird to life on paper…looks as if capable of chirping and stepping off the page. See you next trip.
Thanks Greg! We love the Falkland estate - it definitely kept us sane during a certain time when we couldn't travel very far from home...The hills there are small but still a challenging climb. I'm so glad you liked the birds - Willie told me about Budgie Cherokee :( We are so sorry for your loss, but I know she will be at peace and you will be keeping her memory alive xx
@@shewalksshepaints Sarah, I appreciate your sentiment and compassion for Cherokee and the mourning I must go through. Yes she will never be forgotten and indelibly imprinted my heart with her singing, dancing, playfulness, bright colors, intelligence, and love!
Tennis ball conjuror....that's just too funny!! 😂😂 Another gorgeous walk and a beautiful painting!
Thanks Sheryl! It just appeared out of nowhere - don’t know how he does it!
What a lovely walk but I’m very envious. My arthritis would never allow me to try any adventure like that.
Thanks Andrea! Aww that's tough - I know what it's like to want to walk but not be able to. Hopefully you can get outside and do what you are able to now the warmer days are coming (?).
She walked so high, she touched the sky! Beautiful walk today and a very handsome bird ❤️😍 (and dog) Thanks for taking us along!
Aww thank you Karla!
The depth of colour you used was amazing. Loved seeing the old village.
Thank you Lisa! We love that village - such a lovely place to walk around 😊
Beautiful painting, and thanks for another lovely walk, Sarah. Willie, those drum beats are hauntingly beautiful.
Thanks Kathy! Willie did a great job on the music 😊
Thank you for another wonderful journey, I sure look forward to these and watching your amazing talent
Thank you Clifford! That’s so nice to hear 😊
My "favourite" steps. Love that little bit about Johnny cash and the pic of him with Andy Williams. Jack and his stick at the end ... Come on mom throw the stick don't take pics
Thanks Susan! And yet, when you go to throw Jack’s stick for him - he snatches it away 😂🤦♀️
We have many different types of black birds here. There is a family of red wing black birds that usually nest in the brush along the fence row. I have not seen them this year; because, it is still a little early for them. You do such beautiful work.
Thank you for the wonderful walk and views. Thank you for the trip to the town where Johnny Cash and June Carter Cash use to visit. Johnny's and June's music is still played on the radio stations today. I sure would have loved to have shopped in that dress shop. Your dog, Jack, loves to play; and, he loves you so much.
Thank you Arvetta! Red wing blackbirds sound amazing! So cool to see the different animals and birds in different places 😊
Amazing painting as always! I'm always amazed by the inky black hole nature of their plumage complemented by those vibrant sunny tones of the beak and eye rings! Loved the walk and it looks like Jack did too!
Thanks Richard!! Yes I love how many different tones there are in a blackbird’s feathers and yet they look such a deep black colour in nature 😊
I love your painting.
We have a pair of blackbirds that come every day for apples that we peel for them. Your painting is beautiful, Sarah!
Aww that’s so lovely! So glad you liked it 😊
Scotland certainly has no shortage of beautiful scenery. That was another wonderful walk. Jack makes that steep climb/stairs look easy but I know it wasn't. It's cute how he only goes so far and then waits for you. The village is so picturesque as well, and I loved the café. Your painting is just amazing, as usual, but I was particularly awed over how you were to able to paint a bird that appears to be solid black and still make all the details visible. You are truly skilled. Beautifully done! Also, I have to tell you that you are the only CZcams site (well, you and Dirty Rotten Secrets) where I watch to the very end so I don't miss anything. I even enjoy the credits, as there is always something cute there too. The outtake at the end was precious. Thank you for all your efforts in putting together such a quality video. I love it! :-D
Aww thank you so much!! We really appreciate that 😊 I love finding the funny bits (usually Jack…) to put in at the end 👍
I think I would have needed 3 rest stops climbing those steps lol but even with the fog at the top, it looked beautiful, you must have felt like you were at the top of the world!
Your blackbird was gorgeous, I absolutely love their singing, they are one of the birds in the nearby woods to my house (just across a road), who make up the dawn chorus, that and the cherry blossom in full bloom are my favourite parts of spring, (of course the warmer weather too).
I've been going more walks myself as the weather intermittently gets nicer, taking pictures of my dog Buster, sunsets, and cherry blossom, before the petals are blown away like confetti. I absolutely love this time of year.
Thank you Sarah, Willie and Jack, for another beautiful video. 🤗💛
Aww thank you! Sounds like you are making the most of springtime too 😊 The cherry blossoms are out here too and they are so beautiful, but short lived!
Wow that’s a beautiful walk and your painting is amazing, take care and thank you for sharing 👍👏❤️
Thanks Chris!!
Lovely walk, but I think my body would be unhappy with me as soon as I stopped moving. So wonderful of you to take us along, your blackbird is beautiful!! Thanks Sarah, Willie and Jack!
Thank you Debbie! So glad you liked it :) Definitely best to keep moving after the climb - it was nice to wander around the village to cool the muscles down!
o wow that is an absolutely amazing looking blackbird [merel in dutch ]
Thank you (or dank je vel)!!
@@shewalksshepaints its
"wel " nice effort tho . my english isnt perfect either
It was really fun watching you develop the textures in the blackbird painting. When I learned how to do needlepoint of birds, crows, I would blend black with peacock green and almost black purple with the black thread to give that iridescent look that their feathers have. I like the underpainting of the blue that you did.
Thanks so much!!
Outlander one of my fave progs... nice to see locations :) ... yikes at the steps lol... nimble Jack needs to share energy :) .. Jacks like come on mum lol ... robin was cute at the cafe.. some lovely photos :) love the blackbird painting.. what an amazing job
Thanks!! I wish we could bottle Jack’s energy - we’d be very rich by now if we could haha!
What a wonderful walk, Great work your buddy🐕.
Thanks for taking us there Loved watching❣❣
Thanks so much!! I’m really glad you enjoyed it 😊
Lovely walk and beautiful painting.
Thank you Donna!!
Those are pretty little fuchsia colored flowers and also how the leaves grew out of the bush or whatever it is. Very different, I’ve never seen them before. Spectacular views as always you never disappoint Sarah. Beautiful painting also. You are a very talented young lady. Keep up your good work. Lots of love from Diane in upstate New York. ♥️
Thank you so much Diane!!
What a beautiful place you live in, I can see why you love it! The birdsong was very welcome, I live near a busy road so don't get many birds and Blackbird song is also my favourite. Your painting is, as always, stunning! 😀💗 x
Aww thanks Amanda!! I love the birdsong there at this time of year. So relaxing to listen to 😊
Wonderful! Thank you
You are very welcome Kristin! So glad you liked it 😊
Wonderful , thank you 😀
You are very welcome Andrew - so glad you liked it 😊
I'd love to see a painting of the larch roses.
Hi Barbara! I was also thinking that, although I had a compulsion to paint the blackbird for some reason! I’m sure I will get round to painting the larch roses at some point…😊
Sarah I felt every step up the hill on my glutimusmaximus lol excellently carried out with ease by you youngsters lol beautiful blackbird to join the rest of all your stunning art work. Loving Willie's tunes from Eagles style to country style in Falkland, he should bring out a you tube album of Sarah's walk n paints walking tracks much love to you both ❤️ ♥️
Thanks Alexandrea! So glad you liked it 😊 Our legs were a bit shaky at the end but it didn’t last long!
Enjoy the Arches paper ! One of my favorites for Plein air watercolor. From across the pond !
Thanks Gordon!! I love it already - glad I went for it 😊👍
Hpe Jack S was ok after the moist and cold. Wonderfull blackbird
Thanks Juliane! Yes Jack is fine in those conditions. He runs about so much, that he prefers cold weather than the warm 😊
Scenery is always beautiful out there. The flowers on the trees are very pretty. Interesting story there with Johnny Cash being connected there to the village. Painting something black I would find challenging as it would be hard to detail out. But you did a wonderful job.
Thank you Sally!!
Thats quite a hill to climb! Hows the ankle holding up? I love your hikes, lm right there with you. I wish l were still able to do that, but old age has pretty much caught up with me. The blackbird is beautiful! Thank you so much!
Thanks Tina! The ankle is doing well - definitely best to keep it moving regularly :) It's a small hill that one, but a very steep route! We were happy to get to the top, even though it was cold up there!
My legs no longer work as before due to MS. Thank you for taking me along
You’re so welcome! Glad you enjoyed it 😊
My hamstrings burned as you hiked up to the top. I look forward all your tours. All your paintings. Did I detect a little “Cash” in your guitar, Willie? A fitting tribute. The history of your country astounds me. Ages back from my country, (US).
Haha thanks Sandra! We had some wobbly legs for a little while after finishing that climb 😀
Amazing art!
Thank you so much Kathleen!
Arches in France, as you well know, produces very high quality paper, I used to sell a lot of it and
used it for my own Watercolors.
Arches was a product of the French Canson Paper company which was used
'in the Montgolfier brothers hot air balloons in the 1700's
The Art store and frame shop were I worked , was a Winsor and Newton dealer.
I still have series 7 brushes and their portable Watercolor bottle/paint carrier after all these years later.
Cheers,
Rik Spector.
Hi Rik! I really liked the Arches paper - never used it before. I love W&N brushes, but they have just changed the formulation of their paper and it wasn’t working for me unfortunately 😕
Amazing to think these heights were inhabited 2000 years ago!
Incredible isn’t it?
Lovely video Sarah, makes my Sunday. That Larch Rose sprig would make a lovely painting. Willie's photo work is brilliant as is the music. Why no adverts to bring in some funds?? Best regards, John. x
Thanks John! I'm so glad too hear that :) I did think that about the larch roses too, but I just felt in the mood to paint a bird haha! Another day maybe! I'm not yet established enough on CZcams to monetise my channel (you have to reach a certain amount of subscribers and watch time first), although I am not far off!! Hopefully the viewers won't mind a couple of ads popping up, as it would be a great support to us as we work on the content :)
@@shewalksshepaints Thanks Sarah. I would certainly watch the Ads as knowing it helps your channel.
Wow!!!! What a change of scenery!!!! I really love this trip!!!! Did your "climbing muscles" hurt when you got home, though? Ouch!!!
Reminds me of Sir Paul McCartney's blackbird song, Sarah. Did the song come to mind as you painted this grand bird? He is exquisite!!!
@@rebeccahatcher-kaiser225 I totally had that song in my mind the whole time haha!! It's on my painting playlist too, so it was a nice link. Yes, we had some sore legs after that steep climb, although fortunately it is not a big hill, so it doesn't last too long :)
My Mom was born and raised in Fordyce, Arkansas, which is the "large" town ~8 miles from Kingsland, AR, where Johnny Cash was born. When he was 3, his family moved to Dyess, AR, which is ~215 miles North-East, near Memphis, Tennessee. My Mom knew one of his aunts, who worked at the Fordyce High School.
.
When my parents and I went to Scotland in 2001, we visited Falkland Palace, and I shot a 36 exposure roll of film there. But unfortunately, I noticed that my camera's ISO setting had been accidentally knocked out of adjustment, when installing the next roll of film - and sure enough, when the film came back from the processor, the shots of Falkland Palace were all dark and under-exposed.
Jamie!!!!!!!!!
Black bird by the Beatles is worth a listen
Haha! It was going round and round my head while I was painting 😂
Jack must take 3 x the steps you do, runs ahead, circles back, shorter legs, off to the side, fetch a stick!
Haha! That’s so true!! We always say whatever distance we walk, Jack does at least 3 or 4 times that 😂
OKAY,you know you’re good,,,paintings are superb.videos are superb. Mr.Scott’s accompaniments are wonderful. But his Am7th needs a bit of polishing. Needs to go to the crossroads. Sorry,nick picking. Miss the delta blues. Do your own thing. As for Jack…
Haha thanks!!
Sarah, is there a government branch or some nature group that makes all the steps, gates and fences?
Hi Sue - it depends who is responsible for the land management in the area. I think the Falkland estate is privately managed by a Trust. In other locations it might be the council, the Forest & Land Commission or a private landowner 😊
Why are there gates
I think it’s for the sheep in the area! Lots of grazing animals around Falkland Hill.