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The Muir Burn

Discussion in 'Landscapes, Architecture, and Cityscapes' started by xrdbear, Apr 5, 2007.

  1. xrdbear

    xrdbear

    752
    Nov 13, 2005
    Isle of Skye, Scotland
    Up here in the highlands we have a quaint arsonist's tradition called the Muir Burn. On Skye the excuse for turning the countryside into a blackened ruin in the middle of the ground nesting season is to get rid of the heather and provide more grazing for the sheep.

    Most people think it's just an excuse to play with fire these days. Whole hillsides around us are now black just as the tourists arrive.

    Not a particularly good shot but quite dramatic. Taken when nearly dark at a distance of 2.5 miles on the other side of the loch.

    About .5s at f8 and 400mm

    [​IMG]
     
    xrdbear, Apr 5, 2007
    #1
  2. xrdbear

    xrdbear

    752
    Nov 13, 2005
    Isle of Skye, Scotland
    Did I put this in the wrong section? If so could it be moved?
     
    xrdbear, Apr 6, 2007
    #2
  3. Frits

    Frits

    12,515
    Mar 25, 2005
    near Montreal, Canada
    That is very dramatic! I have never heard of this being practiced, does it ever run out of hand (I'd hate for some of these in the picture to be my house!).
     
    Frits, Apr 6, 2007
    #3
  4. xrdbear

    xrdbear

    752
    Nov 13, 2005
    Isle of Skye, Scotland
    Yes it does. I got the local paper today. Very close to the picture I've posted it got out of hand and 60 acres of virgin heathland were 'accidentally' cremated. It took 14 firefighters most of the night to put it out.

    There are rules for this practice and a specified season but they are ignored wholesale.
     
    xrdbear, Apr 6, 2007
    #4
  5. jryoung1947

    jryoung1947

    1,456
    Nov 17, 2006
    Lakeland FL
    Nice shot I've been close to there but never quite made it. I bought an old farm once and thought it would be a good idea to burn out an acre of thorns. Two fire trucks later and about $2500 into the town coffers I was done.:370:
     
    jryoung1947, Apr 7, 2007
    #5
  6. Gale

    Gale

    978
    Jan 26, 2005
    Viera Fl
    They do that down here. I hate it.
    Let nature take care of it own is my thought. JMHO.....

    Nice shot though
    Well done.
     
    Gale, Apr 7, 2007
    #6
  7. xrdbear

    xrdbear

    752
    Nov 13, 2005
    Isle of Skye, Scotland
    Sounds like you'd be well at home here. Of course to be a real crofter you have to have a major weakness for cheap strong cider as well:wink:
     
    xrdbear, Apr 7, 2007
    #7
  8. sfoxjohn

    sfoxjohn

    1,804
    May 1, 2005
    Marlton, NJ
    Brian, what's strange is that here in the U.S. John Muir was one of our canonized preservationists (you may have heard of Muir Woods - a redwood grove, named after him, just North of San Francisco?), and there you have this burn named Muir.
     
    sfoxjohn, Apr 7, 2007
    #8
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