For each year I have selected one favourite image. This is actually quite tricky as there are many photos I like. My favourites tend to be of special places and I notice many of them are linked to the sea.

There is also a gallery showing my most interesting photos as deemed by the flickr community.

2023 - hope

hope

2023 is our first year in Berlin. We found our new home. I joined the Blaue Ampel. I moved office. Berlin is big and I find it difficult to take photos of the city. I very much enjoy watching the industrial activity at the Westhafen. Hope is something we all need for the future.

2022 - view

summer evening view

2022 has been a year of change. After a long time of living in Scotland we have left Edinburgh to live in Berlin, Germany. The view from our bedroom window over Arthur's Seat and the Crags is something that I very much miss. In the morning we could see the sunrise and in the winter afternoons the last light on the top of the tree. The large tree in the neighbours' garden provided entertainment when we were doing the dishes and the young squirrels did their last run around before settling down for the night.

2021 - full of life

Dumbarton Road

We are now in the second year of the pandemic and some normality has returned. 2021 was very mundane. My favourite photo for this year reflects this: Dumbarton Road in the West End of Glasgow is very busy with local shops and people going about their every-day lives. I must admit that I do like the trains around Glasgow, something sorely missing in Edinburgh.

2020 - fearless

fearless

2020 was the year of the pandemic. The pubs, theatres and museums closed. We started to wear masks and we were not allowed to travel. Too many people got seriously ill or died. This photo encapsulates 2020 for me: Edinburgh on a beautiful day, empty streets, the tourist shops closed and yet full of exuberance.

2019 - Protest

Climate Strike, Fridays for Future

2019 was a year of protest: against Brexit and Climate Change and for an independent Scotland and striking for better working conditions and our pensions. I have lost count the number of protest I went on. The biggest issue is clearly cliamte change. I take heart that the kids are very involved and vocal. I hope that they stick to their demands of system change. They might well not have the option of being sucked into a comfortable and conservative life.

2018 - Beast from the East

Candlemaker Row

The Beast from the East brought lots of snow to Edinburgh while the Arctic suffered from unseasonally high temperatures. Apart from many other things, 2018 is the year where the anthropogenic climate change alarm bells are constantly ringing: wild fires all over the world, floods and droughts. Maybe 2018 will become the year when we finally got our act together to tackle climate change.

2017 - Last Chance?

painted lady

One of my most favourite subjects are insects: butterflies, beetles, flies, spiders and any other wee beastie that I can get. Over the last few years I noticed that I managed to take fewer pictures of insects in Scotland than before. Then, there was the news that over the last 25 years 3/4 of flying insects disappeared in Germany. It is crazy, we are walking with open eyes into disaster.

2016 - Imperial Dock Grain Elevator and Warehouse

Imperial Dock Grain Warehouse

The Grain Elevator and Warehouse is situated in the Leith Docks. It is an iconic industrial building dating from the first half of the 20th century. Operations stopped relatively recently in 2006. Like many iconic but disused industrial buildings it is under thread to be demolished. It is now on the buildings at risk register. I would so love to get inside to take some photos.

2015 - Good Morning, Edinburgh

good morning, Edinburgh

Edinburgh is a beautiful place and Calton Hill offers a great view. The position of the rising sun around the summer solistice illuminates the Old Town beautifuly. I had this shot and a panorama planned for quite some time. So, early rise and cycle up the hill. It was well worth it.

2014 - stripy

striped bug (Graphosoma lineatum)

A close-up shot of a striped shield bug (Graphosoma lineatum) on a dill flower, its most favourite source of food. I really liked the strong patterns of the dill flower and the bright instect.

2013 - Wemyss Bay Train Station

Wemyss Bay Train Station

I do like trains and train stations and Wemyss Bay is probably my most favourite one. The train station is right next to the harbour for the ferry to Rothesay on the Isle of Bute. In the past thousands of Glaswegians would have taken the train to Wemyss Bay to get to Rothesay for their holidays.

2012 - Edinburgh Castle

Edinburgh Castle in the Evening Sun

The Edinburgh Castle is an iconic landmark. I remember taking this shot very well: on one of the few shopping trips to that part of town I noticed the fantastic late afternoon winter sun on the castle. I decided to go back with camera gear at the next opportunity. I was nearly too impatient but the sun did pop out.

2011 - Summer Meadow

Blumen am Wegrand

Flowers in a field in South Germany. This picture summarises what my idea of summer is: Beautiful meadows, green forrests and blue skies, full of insect wild life. Always looking forward to our annual trip to South Germany.

2010 - Volcano Sunset

Volcano Sunset - Edinburgh Castle

The volcano Eyjafjallajökull errupts on Iceland and disrupts international air travel. It also brought some nice sun sets to Scotland. This photo was taken on April 15th 2010 from Holyrood Park.

2009 - concentric

concentric

In 2009 we moved back to Edinburgh and I upgraded my little Canon Ixus 430 to a Olympus e420 dSLR. This photo is from one of my first outings with the new camera to the Falkirk Wheel.

2008 - Slains Castle

Slains Castle

Slains Castle overlooks the North Sea from a cliff top near Cruden Bay in Aberdeenshire. It's a fantastic place and apparently an inspiration to Bram Stoker's Dracula novel.

2007 - Castle Ardvreck

Castle Ardvreck at the shores of Loch Assynt

Castle Ardvreck stands on the shores of Loch Assynt in the North West Highlands. Loch Assynt is probably one of my most favourite parts of Scotland. I think this picture captures the essence of the Highlands - glorious wilderness and ruined castles by the water.

2006 - Aberdeen Harbour

3 big yellow ships

In 2006 we move to Aberdeen, so a photo of the Harbour seems quite apt. I always loved going along the harbour and watch the ferries and the supply vessels.

2005 - Bass Rock

Bass Rock

The coast around North Berwick is one of our most favourite destinations. This picture of the Bass Rock in the glorious evening sun was taken at Seacliff Beach just a bit further along from Tantallon Castle.

2004 - shiny winch

shiny winch

2004 is a long time ago now. My Canon Ixus 430 was new then and son number 1 not quite a year old. This photo is from a sailing trip on the West Coast of Scotland. We had glorious weather and a great time.