A moment of reflection and Himalayan adventures – readers' best photos
'A geometrical eye twister and a candid street photo.' Photograph: André Skibstad
'On the train from Amsterdam-Zuid.' Photograph: Anandi Sarita Namasivayam
'These fake dolphins in St Augustine look like they're jumping over the fisherman on a bright, sunny day.' Photograph: Travis Antolik
'A sea otter in Monterey Bay munching on a fresh clam.' Photograph: Alan Lipton
'Early morning at the Sierra de Andújar national park, hoping to find Iberian lynx. Something moved in the bushes next to us: a male red deer climbing up a small hill. It stood there for a while, staring at us. We found no lynx, but I will never forget this encounter.' Photograph: Belén Quintana
'A busker was making bubbles for children and I managed to capture this image before the bubble exploded on me, covering me in soap and water. Many around were quite humoured by this.' Photograph: Rider Dyce
'Hurrying past puddles on the way to work, you can sometimes find beauty reflected in the gutter.' Photograph: Isabelle Desgranges
'A chance moment glancing down the Joice Street alley. I was taken by the giant Lee's menacing gesture in direction of the tiny woman and her calm repose. I did not know at the time that Lee was born in the city.' Photograph: Carol Wickersham
'Embrace the serenity of nature at Tsho Rolpa, where majestic peaks touch the sky and the spirit of adventure thrives in every step.' Photograph: Ambish Kaji Shakya
'In the cafe of National Trust's Trelissick Garden. While working in the sunshine, I was joined by a handsome and cheeky scone thief.' Photograph: Sacha Clements-Barnes
'A woodland dor beetle weathering the rain in the Trossachs National Park.' Photograph: James Feehan
'A big blow at Portland Bill.' Photograph: Mark Williams
'Skyscrapers can be seen from Manggarai Station. On weekdays, this station is one of the busiest commuter line train stations in the city.' Photograph: Firman Firdaus
'Walking from St Pauli to Borgweg, I came across this reimagined petrol station in the twilight. Gluhwein would follow.'
Photograph: Richard Duffy-Howard
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Wales Online
2 days ago
- Wales Online
Remote beach with golden sands, clear waters, and wildlife is hard to reach but worth the trek
Remote beach with golden sands, clear waters, and wildlife is hard to reach but worth the trek This lovely dog-friendly beach is rarely very busy This secluded beach is located on a remote stretch of coast towards the southern end of the Llŷn Peninsula and offers a crowd-free day by the sea if you can find it. (Image: Chris Andrew/Wiki) We all love a beach day here in Wales and we are truly blessed to have so many sandy shores and isolated bays to choose from. If you've already ticked off the classics like Barafundle Bay, Rhossili Bay, and Harlech Beach, you might be itching to find somewhere new to plonk down your towel. Great news! We've discovered a huge sandy beach that few people know about. Porth Ceiriad is located on a remote stretch of coast towards the southern end of the Llŷn Peninsula and offers a crowd-free day by the sea – if you can find it. It's an absolute gem of a beach owned by the National Trust and tucked away beneath towering cliffs. You'll get sweeping views over Cardigan Bay all the way to the mountains of the Eryri National Park. It's also less than three miles from the popular seaside village resort of Abersoch where you'll find plenty of cafes, shops, and facilities. This lovely dog-friendly beach is rarely very busy – largely because it's a fair stomp from the nearest parking and is reached by walking across fields and ascending a steep flight of steps. Even in the middle of the school holidays it never feels rammed so it's a brilliant spot if you're after peace and big ocean views. This beach lies on a remote stretch of coastline on the Llŷn Peninsula (Image: Google) What makes this almost secret beach tricky to visit is that mobile signal can be very spotty here so good luck trying to navigate with Google Maps. Article continues below Finding the isolated spot is part of the challenge for intrepid explorers. Many Tripadvisor reviewers posted about their joy at finding the beach when the satnav couldn't. One poster remarked: "It's an adventure to get there on single-track country roads. Good luck with the tractors." Online it's even dubbed the "Porth Ceiriad Mystery Tour" because of the curious case of disappearing tourists led astray by unreliable satellite navigation directions and confounding maps. To get there you'll need to go through the former Nant Y Big campsite. From there it's just a short trek across a couple of fields before you reach a steep set of steps carved right into the cliff. It's a bit of a thigh burner but totally worth it once you see the golden sands and crashing waves. While it's a perfectly lovely sandy stretch this is where you come for a spot of solitude to walk the dog or have a bracing sea dip. There are no facilities here including toilets, cafes, or lifeguards so if you're plodding down here you'll need to bring everything with you. It's a proper wild seashore free from seaside resort tat shops, whirring arcades, and beachside fish and chip shops. If you bring a big beach picnic be aware that there are no bins here so you'll need to take all your rubbish home to keep this scenic spot beautiful and litter-free. The Beach Guide notes that, along with a beautiful sandy shore and geologically-significant cliffs, the surf at Porth Ceiriad is about the best on the Llŷn Peninsula. If you're a pro surfer there are large powerful waves that are more suited to experienced surfers (Image: Mirrorpix) If you're a pro surfer there are large powerful waves here that are more suited to experienced surfers than those at neighbouring Hell's Mouth. They add that while generally quite sheltered the surf at this south-facing beach comes into its own during the winter months. If you're new to surfing this might not be the best spot to give it a whirl. The waves can pack a punch here and the rip currents can be downright feisty. There's also no lifeguard here and the nearest loos and facilities are a few miles away. Porth Ceiriad is also popular with other watersports and in the summer, you might spot a range of crafts including kayaks, paddleboards, and even yachts. From superstar gigs to cosy pubs find out What's On in Wales by signing up to our newsletter here. If you're lucky you may also see pods of dolphins here with their distinctive dorsal fins carving through the choppy waves. You might spot a dolphin here (Image: Getty Images/EyeEm) How to get there To get there from Abersoch, head out along Lon Sarn Bach and keep going straight over the crossroads at Sarn Bach. About 0.7 miles on take a left onto Lon Groes – you'll spot it by the green electricity substation so keep your eyes peeled. Soon after you'll come to a contactless payment barrier at what used to be the Nant Y Big campsite. From there a path leads you straight towards the beach. There's a car park perched right up on the cliffs that gives you the feeling you might just drive off the edge but don't worry as you won't – but it's a bit of a thrill! If that's not your bag you can take an earlier turning towards Bwlchtocyn where there's a smaller car park tucked away on the far side of the village. You'll need to navigate a few cattle grids and some fairly narrow lanes but you'll get there. That one's coin-only with prices ranging from £2 to £4 for up to four hours or £5 for the whole day. Postcode: LL53 7BY Article continues below OS grid ref: SH 3139 2484
The Independent
3 days ago
- The Independent
Beach made famous by Poldark no longer accessible
Access to Pedn Vounder beach in Cornwall, a popular beauty spot, has been temporarily closed by the National Trust due to health and safety concerns. The decision was made because the cliff access path has eroded, becoming unstable with steep drops and a difficult final descent to the beach. The National Trust also cited dangerous rip currents at the beach, which have led to frequent emergency service incidents. The closure of the beach, known for its scenic beauty and as an unofficial nudist spot, has caused disappointment among locals and tourists during a late summer heatwave. The National Trust, which consulted with local authorities and emergency services, has advised visitors to use the nearby Porthcurno beach instead.
The National
3 days ago
- The National
I went to Glenfinnan to see Harry Potter tourism chaos
The first is the population of the Lochaber hamlet. The second is the number of people that now visit every year to see the viaduct, made famous over the last quarter of a century by a combination of the Warner Bros Harry Potter films and the catalyst of social media. I recently visited Glenfinnan to see how the community struggles daily with this increasingly difficult equation, and what I witnessed was anything but magical. Cars were parked anywhere and everywhere. A hillside turning into a muddy monstrosity. National Trust staff forced to wear bodycams due to the behaviour of some tourists. This is a village at breaking point, and even just being there for one day left me feeling frazzled. The 11am crossing Glenfinnan is full of impossible equations, and here's another – how do you deal with so many tourists when most of them come at the same time of day? I arrived in the village in time for the madness of the 11am viaduct crossing of The Jacobite steam train. I began making my way up to the hillside viewpoint just after 10 to avoid being caught up in a hoard of stragglers that start running down the A830 trunk road when they realise they might miss the key moment. READ MORE: Scottish spot named one of Europe's best for stargazing What I saw as I approached was a sight to behold. There must have been around 1000 people up there, waiting to watch the moment they all remember fondly from the Harry Potter films, when the 'Hogwarts Express' crosses the 21-arched viaduct at the foot of Loch Shiel. (Image: Network Rail) West Coast Railways supplied the engine and carriages used for the filming, and it has subsequently created that rare moment where you can witness the scene from the film almost exactly as it happened – bar the flying Ford Anglia, of course. The problem is not so much that they come to see the train, but the fact that they all come for the same crossing. A lot of tourists who are trying to tick off the big bucket list of locations in Scotland will come to Glenfinnan in the morning for the first crossing and then move on to catch the ferry to Skye. It creates this pressure cooker moment every day for the village. (Image: NQ) Hege Hernes, who is the curator of the Glenfinnan Station Museum, said: 'Lots of people want to come to Glenfinnan, but they are all coming at the same time. There is not enough space. 'It's because that's the itinerary recommended online. For the 11am [crossing], then you can continue with your car to Skye, and you can do this and that in a day. 'If everyone comes by car or comes on the same train, there's not going to be room. If we spread it a bit, then things will get easier.' A new weekend bus service has been launched in recent weeks between Fort William and Glenfinnan to encourage more people to leave their cars behind and travel more sustainably. It will run four times a day and should go some way to helping break up crowds of tourists, easing the strain on the village roads, landscape and resources. Watching the train go over was truly an impressive sight, and, as a 32-year-old who grew up with the hype of Harry Potter, it was a magical sight I was glad I was able to see. But getting into a spot to see the train was hazardous. You could see the toll the footsteps of tourists had taken on the hillside, which was extremely muddy and slippery, even more so when there were so many people to manoeuvre around. (Image: NQ) People I spoke to on the hillside were shocked by the number of tourists they encountered when they got up there. Michelle and Annika were visiting from Germany after being in Edinburgh for the Oasis concert. Asked if she was surprised by the number of people gathering for the train, Michelle said: 'Yes. We were kind of naive. 'We were very surprised [by the number of people] and we were very late, so we had to run.' The pair of friends also had to be dropped off as there was nowhere to park, yet another tricky equation Glenfinnan faces. Glenfinnan's soundtrack – horns, alarms and traffic Driving to Glenfinnan by car is something I strongly suggest you do at your own risk. I arrived in my car at 9am and had made advance arrangements for a parking space, given I had been informed of the chaos I would face on arrival. At that time, I drove past the National Trust Visitor Centre car park which was nearly full. It was originally designed for people to visit the Glenfinnan Monument – which commemorates the Jacobite rising of 1745 that started in the village – but like everything else has fallen victim to the Harry Potter craze. That site, and a slightly larger community car park next door, are the only significant parking facilities in the village, with only a limited number of spaces available at the station. It means tourists – who more often than not choose to arrive in hire cars – get stuck looking for a space and abandon their cars in laybys and verges next to a 40mph trunk road. Some of the scenes I witnessed included a tourist blocking an access road, drivers turning around in the road at what locals like to call the 'magic roundabout' by the Glenfinnan House Hotel, drivers parking half in the road at already full laybys, and tourists wandering up the trunk road where there is no path after leaving their cars. (Image: NQ)And I was told I had come on a quieter day. Everywhere you look, the parking situation is having a huge impact on the community. READ MORE: See inside the 'forgotten' stunning 'fairytale' castle in Scotland Jennifer Northcote, visitor experience manager at the National Trust, told me staff are now having to wear bodycams because of being driven at when turning people away from the car park. Asked what the biggest problems staff face are, she said: 'It's not being able to accommodate everybody and having to say we can't get you in. '[Abuse] does happen. In the past we've had people being driven at. We've had verbal abuse. That's why we've got bodycams now. 'We also do public management training. It's been less chaotic this year than last year because we've had that management, but it's still been quite intense.' Ally Entwistle is a member of the community council and runs two accommodation sites in the village – one of which is at Glenfinnan station. She explained the strain the situation is placing on staff at the station and on her own life. 'People driving through the village are now heading to the station to try and park there,' she said. 'So Hege and the Glenfinnan station museum team have had to hire extra bodies to mind the car park at the bottom and direct people because it's become busier than it has been in previous years. They've had to pay for more folk to marshal that, otherwise the station would become gridlocked.' She went on: 'I have to get around between two sites, and it's very difficult. 'I really feel for people who have been here a long time and have had to see this huge change. People adjust their days from April to October when the train runs. They try not to be on the road.' Entwistle also told me of an incident recently where an ambulance making its way between Mallaig and Fort William with a casualty had to call for police assistance because of the hold up in Glenfinnan. Thankfully, no damage was done, but scenes like these are becoming all too common for villagers who feel as if they are living by the seat of their pants. The problem is too big Gradual improvements have been made to the village, such as double yellow lines and bollards being installed along the eastern entrance, but residents feel they are being left to solve a problem that is beyond them. The yellow lines at one end of the village may have stopped verge parking on the Fort William side, but this has simply displaced the issue, with people now parking unsafely at the Mallaig end. Residents are trying to put out fires, only to watch other ones pop up. The issue is not helped by inadequate public transport. One member of car park staff at the National Trust told me there are not enough ScotRail trains coming to Glenfinnan, while Entwistle explained the ones that do come do not have sufficient capacity – with Sunday trains only having two carriages. ScotRail has been approached for comment by The National on this. Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes, who represents the area as an MSP, hopes the new bus will be 'transformational', but it will only operate at weekends. I travelled to Glenfinnan on a Wednesday and left scratching my head as to how the community gets to the bottom of this. Where a pot of money or a helping hand comes from is of little relevance to Glenfinnan residents. It just has to come from somewhere, for it is no exaggeration to say this beautiful wee place is bursting at the seams. Mark Ilderton, ScotRail service delivery director, said: 'ScotRail is absolutely committed to supporting leisure travel across the country, and we recognise the West Highland Line as one of the most popular with customers. "Investment in recent years by ScotRail and Network Rail – in refurbished trains, dedicated cycle carriages, upgraded signalling equipment, and the provision of a footpath and viewing areas for the viaduct – shows our commitment to the route. 'And earlier this year, the introduction of longer trains on the route has provided additional space and comfort, particularly for those travelling with bikes and outdoor equipment. 'In the years to come, we'll continue to work to support tourism, sustainability, and bring wider economic benefits along Scotland's most scenic railways by replacing all our diesel trains with a low carbon alternative.'
