I'm sure that there are unusual road signs all over the UK but this one on the Isle of Scalpay just before the Scalpay Bridge to the mainland of the Isle of Lewis is one of the more unusual that I have come across.
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| Scalpay Bridge - opened in 1997 |
Happy Hanukkah and Merry Christmas
6 hours ago
Have you ever seen any otters there, Graham?
ReplyDeleteI like them (who doesn't)!
Meike oddly, because there used to be an old otter run near my house, I have only once seen an otter on Lewis in the 42 years I've lived there.
DeletePrince Charles opened that bridge. Very exciting it was.
ReplyDeleteIt certainly was for the people of Scalpay, Adrian.
DeleteA Blot on the landscape that bridge.
ReplyDeleteHeron that's a very interesting comment. Just about everything that man does on this planet can probably be defined by someone as a blot on the landscape. I spent most of my career dealing with town and country planning (I was not a planner but I represented the Western Isles Council at planning inquiries) and heard the argument over and over again that this or that was a blot on the landscape. I also heard the question: which was more important a new dwelling, a new road, a new causeway, a new bridge, a new business or pristine wilderness for those who lived in towns far away to come and ogle (provided, of course, that they could bring their camper vans or stay in hotels in the town so that the country could remain unspoilt)? I happen to think that the bridge is very beautiful but I appreciate that is a personal opinion. However the fact that it saved a very live island community from ceasing to exist could, in any case, be used as a justification. Just about every bridge on Scotland's west coast has had it's detractors on aesthetic grounds.
DeleteLovely. I adored all the animal road signs in Australia (kangaroo, koala, echidna etc).
ReplyDeleteYes, Helen, the Antipodes is a good place for unusual animal road signs.
DeleteIf they really cared they would make a little channel in the road for the otters to swim across ! :) They would find it far more convenient :)
ReplyDeleteJenny the otters could quite happily swim or walk under the bridge if they wanted to. Heaven alone knows why they choose to use the bridge or the road.
DeleteThat's really a neat sign. Makes me smile. Thank you for posting your photos
ReplyDeleteYou're very welcome Maywyn.
DeleteTwo eye catchers...the sign and the bridge.
ReplyDeleteYes, Red, I agree.
DeleteNear Warcop in Cumbria, I saw a similar sign but it bore the silhouette of a tank and underneath it read "Tanks Crossing". Not something you see every day.
ReplyDeleteThat's certainly true, YP. And the tank never comes off worse!
DeleteThe scenery is beautiful and I hope you managed to avoid otters!
ReplyDeleteKylie the scenery in the Western Isles is astonishingly beautiful in many ways. I sorry to say that I've only once even seen on otter here despite the fact that there are many of them.
DeleteBeautiful landscape/seascape, I can't really say the same about the bridge. I wonder what the Otters think about it?
ReplyDeleteCro as I said in answer to Heron I happen to think the bridge is beautiful but, of course, that's just my opinion. Given that the otters are there in what is an area of considerable human activity (there is a fishing related factory a few hundred yards away) as well as houses, I suspect they don't really worry too much. After all they could always swim across the channel or under the bridge if they wanted to.
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