I was a little bit more successful with the camera yesterday afternoon when I went up to Braemar. I wanted to share this image for the record, more than for its beauty though. Built around 1550, this castle, about 5 miles from our home, was threatened by flooding from the River Dee at the end of 2015. The flood waters washed away much of the land at the back of the building, leaving it on a precipice over the river, and forcing the 76-year-old Baron Abergeldie to flee. The road from where I stood to take the photo was also completely washed away over a half-mile distance. For a time, authorities were uncertain if the castle could be saved but it seems they've managed. You can see where the banks of the river have been shored up. It still fascinates me to look at the new shape of the river between Braemar and Ballater where the major flooding took place - some parts are unrecognisable as the river I know and love, and work is still being done, more than a year on, to repair the damage caused by the power of the rising water.
What an amazing story! (Duh...JUST struck me this isn't 5 mi from your home in Paris...) Well, as you well know, we Americans just can't match the history across the pond! A 1550 castle still inhabited by a family member! I'm pleased to read they were able to save it!
How heart-wrenching that had to have've been, watching the flood waters eat ever closer to a beautiful home. Amazing what it's taken to build back up what the powerful water tore away. Nature's fury is a scary thing.
