I photographed these today on a large grassy area here in Edinburgh known as the Bruntfield Links.
The Links are adjacent to the Meadows – another large grassy area – and it is a very pleasant walk from the adjoining neighborhoods of Bruntsfield and Marchmont into the center of the City.
The Links and the Meadows are criss-crossed with footpaths with people walking to and fro across the green swathes at all times of the day and evening.
And the Meadows dip gently and then rise again towards the city center, so from Bruntsfield and Marchmont the scene is laid out one green vista.
Many of the people walking are students, so there is none of that sense of urgency that there might be if everyone was hurrying to the office.
It is all very relaxed and pleasant – and in a capital city.
What Lies Beneath
Legend (and perhaps more than legend) has it that the bodies of plague victims were buried under the Links during the Black Death in the 1300s.
They say that this accounts for the hummocky ground, which is why it was here that the game of golf was invented.
Apparently, somewhere on the Links there is a plaque erected by the City of Edinburgh Council stating that the Links was one of the earliest places that golf was played in Scotland.
The Official Line On Golf
So the official claim is that Bruntsfield Links is ‘one of the earliest places’ rather than the precise place where golf was invented, for of course it was in Scotland that the game was first played.
Whichever it is, the crocuses are out in February – testifying to the mild winter this year.
Ecards
Over the next few days we will add some of the photos from today to the Flowers category of our ecards, including this close up shot.