#Galloway Forest

[moonstrideer]

Loch Doon, Galloway Forest Park, Scotland

I took these pictures at roughly 8pm, so much for the dark sky park!

[tonyb-blog]

Another trip to Scotland - short break in Newton Stewart (2)

[m-j-turner-photography]

A tiny Coal Tit, the smallest in the European Tit family, perched on top of a conifer cone in the early morning sunlight. This was captured on a lodge holiday in Galloway Forest Park where there was a regular flock of visitors in the surrounding woodland. I was very lucky to capture this fleeting fellow as the morning sun broke through at precisely the perfect moment.

[thesilicontribesman]

RSPB 'Woods of Cree' Ancient Landscape, nr. Newton Stewart, Dumfries and Galloway

[virtualscotland]

I recently visited Galloway Forest Park in Dumfries and Galloway in the south of Scotland. The Forest Park covers 774 square kilometres (we didn't see it all 😂) and is the biggest forest in the UK. It has many beautiful walks, hiking routes, hill walking, cycling, mountain biking, rock climbing and ice climbing. We stuck to some of the more gentle walking routes and explored the beautiful scenery and nature parks within the forest, including wild goats and red deer!

[innervoiceartblog]

Cairnsmore of Fleet ~ Galloway Forest Park ~ Scotland. Photograph by Tom Pitman.

[churchwow]

YouTube channel now live!

Our first ever video is about to go 'live' on YouTube, giving an overview of the background, vision and ethos of 'Church without Walls'

@churchwithoutwall.dg8

[ur-mag]

Body found at the Galloway Forest during hunt for missing Ayr dad | In Trend Today

Body found at the Galloway Forest during hunt for missing Ayr dad Read Full Text or Full Article on MAG NEWS

[0rxd]

Galloway Forest, Scotland

[plantwriting]

Sometimes you just gotta come up with the weirdest fucking AUs for your own mental health so here it fucking goes:

Galloway with some kind of link to the feyrealm. Galloway where children go missing and get replaced by creatures that look like people but aren’t. Galloway where the swamps surrounding the town are filled with gnomes and trolls, witches and fairies, magical creatures that are as terrifying as they are interesting.

Galloway, where the child of the Deep’s was stolen as a baby and replaced with a copy. Rolan, who was never normal, who didn’t fit in, who couldn’t make friends. Rolan, whose parents punished him whenever he acted too weird, who refused to believe their son wasn’t really theirs, who tried to teach the forest and deals and mischievous spirit out of their child through any means necessary. Rolan, who never understood why he couldn’t just be normal.

Donna Rand, who watched the small child in the crib she’d put him in last evening, and knew it wasn’t her own child. Donna, who picked up the small boy into her arms anyway, fed and clothed him, loved him no matter where he came from. ‘Timothy’ who grew up and knew that wasn’t really who he was. ‘Tim’ who spent his days gardening and exploring the woods, knowing he’d be safe there. Rand, who knew his father hated him for not being the original, for not being human, but who learnt to live with it. Rand, who just hoped Timothy was loved as well, where ever he was.

Kian, who didn’t grow up in Galloway. A nameless child that was taken and replaced, and whose parents never even noticed the difference. A child that was weird and uncanny, with a singsongy voice and who seemed to dance with each step he took. A child who spent more time with wildlife than people because animals and flowers didn’t find him unnatural. A child who craved a family and a world he couldnt remember, always so alone, who eventually chose a name for himself because maybe that would make him into a person finally.

Three changeling children, who eventually met each other. Rolan, who met two boys so unapologetically everything his parents hated, who didn’t shy away from the swamps surrounding their homes, who pranked their neighbors for fun, who let him finally be himself. He wasnt a human, and with them he didnt need to pretend.

Rand, who met two boys that never looked at him and wished he was someone else. Who had nothing to compare him to, who would never see him as ‘Tim’. They’d only see him as Rand, as one of them, as someone to be loved because of, not despite.

Kian, who found two boys that treated him like a person. Who listened to his music without discomfort or hatred, who were like him but were still loved anyways, who let him finally be someone. Kian, who finally saw that he could be loved and wanted despite everything that he was.

Three changeling children, who had each other. Until the swamps took a second child from the Rands. Until Rolan found the original child he’d been replaced with. Until Kian had the people he loved destroyed by people like him. Until suddenly, one early summer day, they didn’t have each other anymore.

[amp-memories-and-experiences]

[sihtricfedaraaahvicius]

warnings: None, really. Well, maybe my bad sense of humour.

pairing: modern(ish)!Sihtric x you (f)

summary: Sihtric ends up in 2023, and he's blaming you for it.

word count: 2k

Note: I am not sure if anyone will enjoy this, but if you do, make sure to let me know and I could continue the story if there is interest!

part 1. [part 2]

Boy, have you lost your mind?

You had just wrapped up your ritual and were packing all your belongings. You loved being in the woods, just before sunrise, to clear your mind and set intentions for the day. You carefully packed your candles, your grimoire and your black obsidian rune stones. You have asked your spirit guides for a sign, anything, that would reassure you that your life would get back on track again. You were stuck in a rut and your spirituality was really all that kept you going.

Just as you got up and walked away you heard someone approach, panting heavily, and you froze to the sound of it. It was still rather dark, the sun was about to rise, and you always knew that being a woman alone in the woods could be risky. It might be 2023, but some people still behaved as if it were 828. You listened to the footsteps approach until you saw a figure walking your way. You didn't dare speak and you had already grabbed your keys and pushed them in between your fingers in case you had to defend yourself.

'Oh thank the gods. Can you tell me where I am?' the voice said, out of breath and got closer as it spoke. The first rays of sunlight crept through the trees and you saw a young and quite handsome man approaching you. His hair was dark, short and braided, which you thought was kinda cool, it reminded you of that show on tv you never finished. Something with Vikings. You saw his clothes were dark, almost leather looking, to which you frowned. And as he got closer you saw he had an axe attached to his belt, and you stepped back quickly.

'Don't come any closer!' you yelled, 'I… I have a weapon!'

The man stopped a few paces away from you with a puzzled look, and threw his hands up to show you he wasn't going to harm you.

'Woman, I also have a weapon, but I wish you no harm,' he said firmly, catching his breath, 'just tell me where I am.'

'Woman?' you shrugged, 'I beg your pardon?'

'Lady, tell me where I am!'

'Lady? You always approach women like this?'' you snapped.

'What?' he asked, confused.

'What do you want?'

'I need you to tell me where I am!' he snapped back at you.

'Do you not have a phone? Google maps?'

'What?' he asked, even more confused than before.

'Oh, for fuck sakes,' you sighed, 'this is Galloway Forest.'

He looked at you and then around him, as if he had no idea what you just said.

'How far from Winchester are we?' he asked.

'What? Winchester? The place in England?' you asked.

'How far?' he demanded.

You sighed irritatedly, 'hold on.' And you reached for your phone in your pocket, and the man in front of you suddenly reached for his axe.

'Wow! Dude! What are you doing!?' you yelled.

'What are you doing, lady?' he hissed.

'I am grabbing my phone!'

'What kind of a weapon is a phone? I have not heard of such things!'

You looked at him in pure disbelief.

'Boy, have you lost your mind?' you asked. You looked him up and down, took a breath and rolled your eyes. 'Oh, I get it. Is this some cosplay thing? I mean, it looks really good, but I think you're way too into it.'

'Lady, I do not know what you speak of.'

'Then why are you dressed like that?'

'Like what?'

'Like that,' you gestured at him, 'like some kind of viking?'

'I am no viking just because I am a Dane!'

'Oh, wait, so you're from Denmark?'

'Where?'

'What do you mean where?'

You both just stared at each other, completely lost and both startled. The sun was creeping higher and started to show more of you and the surroundings.

'Okay, look, I'm sorry. I think we started off wrong, but you scared the shit out of me. Can we just start over?' you asked.

He looked at you confused, but he nodded in agreement.

'Okay, what is your name?'

'My name is Sihtric, lady.'

'Okay, Sihtric, hi. My name is (Y/N).'

You held out your hand to him, to which he looked confused. He gave you a nod and a slight smile, but he still looked cautious and he never shook your hand.

'Okay, well, rude,' you muttered under your breath. 'So, you don't seem to know where you are,' you said, 'do you remember how you got here?'

Sihtric looked around and fell into his thoughts.

'I do not,' he said quietly after a while.

'What is the last thing you do remember?'

'I was with Uhtred and Finan. We had just visited a sorcerer. I felt tired and we decided to set up camp. I must have fallen asleep.'

'A sorcerer?' you asked, 'you mean like a witch or occultist?'

'What do you know of witches?' he quickly said.

'No, I mean, I am into that stuff. Mainly occultism,' you smiled and you opened your bag. You took out your grimoire and showed it to him. His eyes scanned the cover of your book, which was decorated with Norse symbols and a pentacle. Sihtric quickly took a step back when he saw the pentacle, not understanding its meaning.

'Are you a sorceress?' he asked, slightly suspicious.

'I wouldn't call it that, no,' you chuckled, and accidentally dropped your bag as you tried to put the grimoire back, allowing all your items to fall out. Sihtric watched the candles roll to his feet along with some runes.

'You are a sorceress!' he said, and he quickly jumped back, 'did you summon me here?' he asked, and his tone was angry and frightened.

'What on earth are you talking about? Something is really wrong with you.'

'You have to bring me back! Have you cursed me? Why?!'

'Excuse me?'

'How did you bring me here, lady? What did you do?'

'Look,' you said as you grabbed the last candle, 'I am done playing this game. I'm sure you can find your own way home. I am not dealing with this shit today. Nope.' And you turned to walk away.

'No!' Sihtric said, and you heard a sudden desperation in his voice.

'What do you want from me?' you nearly begged as you turned back to him.

'I just want to go home,' he said.

'Yeah, well, me too.'

You looked at him for a moment. You did not want to be around this man, but you also felt you couldn't just leave him like that. Something was off, but you didn't know what.

'Are you hungry?' you asked after a pause.

He looked up at you, clenched his jaw and let out a sigh, 'maybe.'

'Let's just… have a seat somewhere, get some breakfast and we'll figure this out, okay?' By his expression you understood that he didn't fully know what you meant, but he agreed regardless.

'Where do you keep your horse, lady?' he asked.

'My what?' you turned to him, 'I can't even afford a car, let alone a horse. I'm not rich.'

'Rich?' Sihtric mumbled to himself as he saw you walk away from him, and he quickly ran up and followed you.

You took him to the nearest donut store, as a lack of better options, and you sat him down at a table in the corner. Luckily, there was no one else around, as it was 7:30 in the morning by now. Only the cashier gave you a confused smile as you placed your order, to which you said that you also couldn't explain the man in armour.

You walked back to Sihtric and sat down, shoved the bag of donuts to his side of the table and you took out your phone.

'So, you want to go to Winchester?' you asked, looking at your phone as you took a mouth full of your donut. When Sihtric didn't reply you looked up at him, and you caught him staring very confused at your phone, then at you, then at the donuts and then to the place around him. He opened his mouth but not a word came out.

'Are you okay?' you asked and frowned.

'I just,' he paused, 'I do not understand.'

You squint your eyes at him. If he was acting, he was damn good, but you felt it was becoming more unlikely with each passing second. He looked seriously confused, almost even afraid. Could he have memory loss? Or maybe he was just not from around here? Was he actually from the past? You wondered all these things in a split second.

'What year do you think it is?' you then asked.

'Before I fell asleep it was 895.'

You stared at him, trying to see him break character, but it never happened. Instead, he looked down at the bag of donuts and slowly opened it, only to inspect the donuts with a very confused look.

'You're serious, aren't you?' you asked.

'I am telling the truth, lady, I swear on Thor's hammer,' Sihtric said and he reached for the pendant around his neck. You looked at him and couldn't help but start to feel for him. You didn't understand him, but you started to believe him. And you finally saw him, after much consideration, take a bite from the donut, to which his face turned sour and you couldn't help but laugh.

'You don't like it?'

'I… I am not sure,' he said hoarsely after he swallowed. He looked at you and then also slowly broke into a smile. You both chuckled for a moment.

'Sihtric,' you said, 'I want to help you. But you have to believe me, I don't know how to bring you back home if you are not from around here.'

You gave him a compassionate look, but his smile faded and he took a deep breath.

'You should not play with forces greater than you, if you do not know how to restore order,' he said.

'What?'

'Who did you work with? Loki?' he shrugged, 'did you cast a spell to cause chaos? What did you do to bring me here? And why?'

'Sihtric,' you said firmly, 'I did not do anything.'

He really started to annoy you at this point, and you were at your limit. 'I have no powers, I did not call upon anyone except for my spirit guides to ask them for guidance, nothing more. And I sure as hell did not ask for some weird, but unfortunately, quite hot medieval looking dude to show up in the woods to fuck around with my day,' you whispered angrily.

Sihtric looked taken aback.

'Then why were you the first person I saw?'

'Oh, I don't know,' you hissed, 'maybe because it was 6 fucking 30 in the morning!'

You composed yourself after snapping at him, 'I don't know what to do with you,' you said, 'I have places to be later, I can't stick around with you. Do you have a place to stay? Or any money for a place?'

'I have silver. And my arm rings,' Sihtric said as he proudly pointed at them.

You looked at him, impressed at the size of his arms but still very confused and annoyed, and you let your head fall into your hands. 'Yeah, sorry. But silver and arm rings will not help you here.'

You looked at each other for a while without saying anything.

Were you going to leave this, clearly lost, man on his own, with no money or anything else that could help him. Or were you going to do the stupidest thing you could think of? Of course you chose the last option.

'Okay, listen,' you said, 'you can stay at my place, but just for this afternoon. I do have some appointments to go to later, so you will have to stay alone. And I swear if you try anything, and I really mean anything, you will wish that you never woke up today.'

'I already wish that, lady,' he said. But he thankfully accepted your offer. And with heavy feet you walked him back to your house, wondering what on earth you were going to do with him.

[revenantlore]

. queer gothic fantasy . ghoulish vampires . a grumpy man with a pet rat and a death wish never to be granted . the literal embodiment of sunshine . polyamory . snarky lesbian badass . necromancy and undead horses . a ghost dog . supernatural drugs .

Plagued by a virus spread from an experiment gone awry, never does a night go by where Ashmourne’s cobblestones and soil are not drenched in human blood.

Bloodthirsty monsters wearing the faces of the virus’s victims run rampant the moment the sun is drawn below the horizon and only death can stop them.

Much too quick and strong for any ordinary adversary to survive against, a small group of both willing and unwilling participants have been scientifically engineered to protect Ashmourne from the very horrors the scientists created.

Without these special few, the townspeople of Ashmourne would have far more to mourn than daylight itself.

. bram valdis .

With no regards to his health or safety, Bram delves straight into harm’s way with the hope of a miracle: an end to his suffering. His past is marred with as many scars as his body, haunting reminders of what he is, who he used to be, and what he can never be again. No more than a laboratory rat, an experiment, a mistake … something far from human.

His compulsions lead to a gruesome collection of blood drawn from the Fangs he has slaughtered, a memento of sorts, stored in vials lining the shelves of his bookcases. Less a symbol of triumph and more a way to calm the obsessive thoughts rattling through his skull. Not a night goes by where he doesn’t count each and every one, often to the familiar tune of insomnia.

A fear of intimacy and loss has left him bitter and alone for much of his life, but he dreams of one day finding a love alike that of the fairy tales that accompany him on these sleepless nights.

. halifax bertram .

After out-aging the dirty halls of Galloway’s Home for Unfortunate Children, Halifax and his younger brother, Pennant, were left to fend for themselves in search of a better, safer life outside the borders of Ashmourne.

Poor, helpless, and more than a little hopeless, their journey was wrought with danger and a quick end.

When Pennant is taken in by Ether as a potential experimental subject, Halifax bargains for his freedom in exchange for Fax’s, unaware of the consequences that await him.

Fax hasn’t spoken to Pennant since.

Not without want, but it is forbidden, if he wants his brother to remain safe.

. pennant bertram .

Painting helps Pennant hold on to hope, distracts him from the grim truth of his existence in the weary village of Ashmourne. When painting fails, there’s the withering garden in the forests beyond Dead End to keep him occupied. He’s determined to bring some life to it—a budding flower or a shock of green amongst the wilting leaves.

Ashmourne is a dark and dismal place, desperate for a spot of brightness, a spark of hope, and so is Pennant.

Not even death will stop him from making it happen.

. zay larosa .

Following in her mother’s and aunt’s footsteps, Zay offers psychic readings at The Dirty Rat for a negotiable price—often she will settle for payment in the form of a drink, and many of her clients would claim the drunken prophet’s readings are always more accurate when of a liquor-addled brain. Others would denounce her credibility as a prophet, usually when things go wrong—or, more accurately, out of spite, when they go just as Zay said they would when seldom is it ever in the client’s favor.

It’s all but a distraction—the booze, the nameless women she beds, the hours and coins wasted away in games of cards and dice, all teetering on a risky bet her prophecies fail to correctly foretell—while a thirst for vengeance gnaws ever-present at her heart.

Her father was slain by a man Zay only knows by appearance alone, an unmistakable scar clawed across his face by her hands alone, and she is determined to find and kill him—all the more reason to snatch a glimpse into the futures of strangers.

. athios forsyth .

Haunted by the memories of a murder he didn’t mean to commit, Athios recedes into a life of isolation to avoid facing the truth behind the event. There are no consequences for the crime, no evidence that it ever happened—not when his victim rose from his grave at the touch of Athios’ own hand—except for the ceaseless guilt.

In the accompaniment of Ambrose, a dog whom is neither here nor there, Athios tends to the graveyards of Ashmourne, both with the intent to maintain a pristine appearance and to experiment with his ability to raise the dead.

His curiosity comes with more consequence than he bargained for when he messes with the restricted graves of Fangs and unleashes a new horror upon Ashmourne.

. zacarias bane .

All hopes of affection were surrendered the day Zacarias discovered himself incapable of touching another person without being thrust into their deepest, darkest memories without mercy.

Yet … Bram and Athios seem to somehow be exceptions to this rule.

The two men become a mystery Zacarias is determined to solve, temptation and desperation fueling his quest for an explanation while he suffers through nights of listening to the ceaseless passion of strangers below his rooming above the local brothel.

[thesilicontribesman]

The Ancient Woods of Cree, nr. Newton Stewart, Dumfries and Galloway, Scotland

[skyscratch-wc]

The Forest Territories

The Skyfall AU takes place (roughly) in Western Scotland, drawing inspiration from the counties of Argyll, Bute, Ayrshire, Dumfries, and Galloway. Loch Lomand and the Trossachs (in Argyll and Bute) in particular serves as an inspiration for the environment of these clans.

As such, some of the clan's environments are going to be shifted (especially Shadowclan) in order to better match the environment of these areas.

[A map will be added to this post and posted separately once I get the chance to draw one]

Thunderclan

upland oakwoods (oak dominant, rowan, alder; some ash, hazel, hawthorn, blackthorn, and bird cherry)

upland mixed ashwoods (ash, alder, hazel, downy birch, oak)

Thunderclan territory is predominantly old growth oak, stretching from the Fourtrees through to the road that separates the main woodlands from the Sprucewood (the new name for the Tallpines). The area around the Thunderclan Camp and Sandy Hollow are mixed ashwoods with a wider variety of tree species. Trees such as willows and birch are more common close to the river, but are still few and far between. The Sprucewood/Tallpines is human-planted Sitka Spruce, frequently cut for lumber. As such, the really is almost exclusively young spruce growth with very little biodiversity.

Shadowclan

fen (sedges, rushes, scrub, etc)

native pinewood forest (pines, birch, rowan, juniper)

wet woodlands (alder, willow, birch)

Shadowclan territory is very wet and trees much more sparse than in the neighboring Thunderclan forest. Most of the territory is fen and wet woodland, dominated by alder and birch trees, with the occasional willow. Upland stretches of the territory, especially by the road and the Carrionplace, are largely pinewood forest. However, the lower elevation center of the territory is entirely wetland with a stream carving through the territory. Think of Shadowclan territory as a bowl with pine on the rim and wetland in the middle.

Riverclan

river shoreline

wet woodland (alder, willow, birch)

lowland mixed deciduous woodland (oak, ash, birch, hazel, elm, etc.)

Riverclan is a lowland stretch of sparse woodland squished between the road, river, and twolegplace. The smallest territory by land area, Riverclan territory is dominated by willow and birch trees, thicker in the middle of the territory and much sparser by the edges. Meadow covers the northern part of the territory bordering Windclan and some spruce trees dot the border by the Sprucewood.

Windclan

moorland/heathland

montane scrub/treeline woodlands

blanket bogs (peatland, sphagnum mosses, cranberry, sundew, etc)

upland birchwood (birch dominant, rowan, hazel, oak, alder, cherry, aspen, juniper)

Windclan territory is a mix of heath and bog and is in general the highest elevation territory of the Forest Four. If Shadowclan is a bowl, Windclan is that bowl flipped upside down. The edges of the territory by Riverclan are wet meadow and the border with Shadowclan is more boggy and covered in peatland bog. The rest of the territory is largely heathland, grassier by the Fourtrees and rockier as the territory gets closer to Highstones and Barley's Farm. Small pockets of upland birchwood exist on the southwestern patch of the territory around the river, just before the falls.

Skyclan (Ancient)

upland mixed ashwoods

upland birchwoods

Ancient Skyclan territory occupied the region now covered by the Sprucewood and part of the Twolegplace. When this territory existed, it was mostly mixed ash and birchwoods, dominated by ash, alder, juniper, and birch trees. Patches of meadow also dotted the territory, especially in the area that is now the Twolegplace. The forest was much denser by the Riverclan border (now the Sprucewood).

Skyclan (Gorge)

upland mixed ashwoods

The Gorge Cats/Skyclan occupy a territory is actually fairly similar to the original territory in the forest, just rockier and more barren. Dominted by ashwood with a occasional patch of oak, Skyclan gorge territory is rocky and sparsely planted with new growth forest, presumably planted after humans were done quarrying in the area. The forest is thicker down by the river and the land above the gorge by the twolegplace is mostly farmland with the occasional patch of ash and oak trees.

----------------

If you are knowledgeable about this region and have corrections please message me! I am not a local and might have made mistakes picking where to put what biomes.