‘I will now lecture,’ said Dr Fell, inexorably, ‘on the general mechanics and development of the situation which is known in detective fiction as the “hermetically sealed chamber.” Harrumph. All those opposing can skip this chapter. […]’ John Dickson Carr The Hollow Man (1935) “Locked Room” mysteries are stories in which the central puzzle involves … Continue reading Three Locked Room Mysteries
Pentlands: Kirk Burn Circuit
Bell’s Hill (NT 204643, 406m) Harbour Hill (NT 207653, 421m) Capelaw Hill (NT 216659, 454m) Allermuir Hill (NT 227661, 493m) Caerketton Hill (NT 235661, 478m) Castlelaw Hill (NT 224647, 488m) 14.8 kilometres 685m of ascent I’ve been meaning to get back to the Pentlands since my previous trip, last year. This time I wanted to … Continue reading Pentlands: Kirk Burn Circuit
Ordnance Survey OpenData In QGIS 3: Part 1
Recently, I’ve been preparing my UK walking maps using the Ordnance Survey’s free OpenData products, which I’ve rendered into maps using a free, open-source Geographical Information System, QGIS. I thought I’d write a little bit about that, now that I’ve got my maps looking more or less as I’d like them. For this first part, … Continue reading Ordnance Survey OpenData In QGIS 3: Part 1
First Venice, Then Vienna
Though there are some disagreeable things in Venice there is nothing so disagreeable as the visitors. Henry James, The Century Magazine, vol. XXV (November 1882) We haven’t been to Venice for close to three years, so it seemed like time to go back. We were a month or two earlier than our usual timing, and … Continue reading First Venice, Then Vienna
Letters From Abroad: Edh and Thorn
If you were transported unconscious to a foreign country and then wakened in the street, a glimpse of this plumber’s van would tell you exactly where you were—only Icelandic contains the two unusual letters that feature in that first word viðhaldsþjónusta (“maintenance services”). In fact, the Icelanders refer to their letters ð and þ as séríslenskur: “uniquely … Continue reading Letters From Abroad: Edh and Thorn
Braes Of The Carse: Glen Carse Tour
Balthayock Hill (NO 189240, 219m) Unnamed Point (NO 191237, 208m) Unnamed Trig Point (NO 193231, 184m) Glencarse Hill (NO 185227, 182m) Pawns Hill (NO 180229, c.125m) Goukton Hill (NO 180218, 99m) Pans Hill (NO 184216, 105m) 11.3 kilometres 387m of ascent You’ll have spotted that I’m having difficulty coming up with descriptive names for some … Continue reading Braes Of The Carse: Glen Carse Tour
Carl Miller: The Death Of The Gods
For almost all of us, the technology that we draw around us closer and more intimately with every passing moment is also something that we understand only more and more distantly. As it becomes smarter, better, more pervasive and more essential it also becomes more mysterious and arcane. The phones in our pockets are now … Continue reading Carl Miller: The Death Of The Gods
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PeakFinder
Back in 1995, a little packet of laminated cardboard diagrams fell through my letterbox. Dave Hewitt, editor of The Angry Corrie, wanted me to write a review of these items. Which I did—it appeared in TAC25, Nov ’95-Jan ’96. They were called ViewFinder Panoramas, they’d been created by Jonathan de Ferranti, and in my opinion … Continue reading PeakFinder
The Myth Of The Starbow
Thus, with all Einstein numbers of flight [velocity as a proportion of the speed of light] greater than 0.37 a major dark spot will surround the take-off star, and a minor dark spot the target star. Between the two limiting circles of these spots, all stars visible in the sky are coloured in all the … Continue reading The Myth Of The Starbow
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Braes Of The Carse: Den Of Pitroddie Update
A short update on a remarkable phenomenon encountered earlier this year. You may remember the picture above from a previous post. It’s the Pitroddie Burn disappearing down a sinkhole in the Den of Pitroddie. It emerges from the ground a couple of hundred metres downstream, apparently none the worse for the experience. I first encountered … Continue reading Braes Of The Carse: Den Of Pitroddie Update