Road to Bla Bheinn – Isle of Skye
Road to the Coral Beach – Plockton
Is this the way? Glencourse in the Pentlands
Snowroad in the Lammermuirs
Road to Applecross – Rosshire
The Road
The road beckons …Can’t you hear?
Whispering promises of freedom from her tarmac tongue
Softly into your waiting ear.The ribbon of her body rolls shamelessly on
Promising whispers of adventure from her concrete curves
Seductively into your stirring skeleton.The way is forwards, never back
Whispering promises of release from her stoney soul
Her courage of movement fills your lack.
So if life is a journey, then we always have our feet placed on the road. The road itself is just a way of getting from a to b…..but we all know that’s not true. The road is the journey, and its all about what we experience on the way from a to b.
It’s very easy to get caught up in the storms which try to unravel and dishevel us. Sometimes for me this feels like coming to a standstill, an impasse, and I’m not quite sure what to do to get things moving again. However if I look down at my feet I’m reminded that all I need to do is put one foot in front of the other. Eventually I’ll get somewhere , and the current difficulty will have passed.
The road then is a symbol of our movement, and every step leads us deeper into our own lives.
When I was younger, in the days before mobile phones, I loved the feeling of freedom which came with travelling. Once I had waved goodbye to the family or friends who had come to see me off, I was released from expectation, and from tasks. All I had do to was to sit back and relax into the unfolding adventure. I was free to be who ever I wanted, and to do whatever I wanted, with no one around to criticise or comment. I still crave that feeling of being beyond reach, of not having to answer to anyone. The ties and bonds of our lives loosen a little while we’re in transit. Travel places us in between the recent past and tomorrow, and I’m a big fan of liminal spaces which are neither here nor there.
What can happen, if we allow it, in these in between places, is an opening into the life unfolding around us. There’s an immediacy to the experience of being in the now, as every new corner we turn opens up new views and new horizons. So taking to the road and heading off on a journey can sweep us powerfully into the here and now of our lives. It offers the freedom to move forwards and become ourselves.
You can explore some more photos of roads at Ailsas travel Challenge ‘Roads’.
breathofgreenair 
Spectacular!
Thanks 🙂 we are heading up North tomorrow so might have some more road shots to share after the trip.
Wonderful blog and pictures discovered via Elizabeth Harper’s blog.
this is brilliant, the photos, the poem and the after-word.
Roads are definitely powerful, i feel it on every walk or bike ride.
The longer the journey, the more important the road becomes.
Thanks so much!! And yes the wonderful power of the road to lead us on….no matter what mode of travel we are on 🙂
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Thanks again for the link back, very flattered by your lovely comments. Glad you enjoyed the photos so much 🙂
That first shot is my favorite. Lovely post 🙂
Thanks, it’s an amazing place, so many breathtaking scenes round each corner.
Thank you…I really like that shot too….it’s very evocative of Skye, which is one of my favourite places on earth 🙂
Yes, I was there many years ago and remember its beauty.
The thoughts you’ve shared well describe the magic and perhaps even the purpose of travel; to get away, see new sights, and reflect along the way. Thanks!
I had a dear friend who talked endlessly of Skye, its beauty and the sense of the place. The photo brings back the memories of her descriptions, and add a little more.
Oh I’m so glad my post brought you back to memories of an old friend….and Skye has a way of getting under your skin once you’ve been there. It creeps through the pores like mountain mist 🙂
I love the idea of living in the moment sweeping us on and creating a freedom to keep on and get closer to our BEing…our essence…ace pictures too! thank you
Thanks, I love it when someone connects with what I’ve written 🙂 here’s to moving deeper into being ourselves!
Your roads do beckon indeed, Seonaid. Next year I’ll heed their call and come to Scotland. Wonderful photos, rugged and free. And your words ring true!
Thanks Marion. See you in Scotland next year 🙂
Yours is the best road entry I’ve seen by miles! just wonderful, thanks.
Love the play on words, and thanks for the compliment 🙂
Beautifully captured visual and the words accompanying them makes it s wholesome treat 🙂
keep walking… “The road has always been the place to find the answers or ignore the questions…” – Something I read long time back and has got stuck in my mind
Oh I like that quote….I’ll hang onto that one. Thanks for sharing 🙂
🙂 Do let me know the source of it if you come across it.
Lovely words and stunning photos… I like your post… 🙂
– Such a wonderful place… where’s the location ? –
Greeting from Jogjakarta, Indonesia.
Thanks! The photos are from all across Scotland ( in the North of the British Isles ) The first one is on the Isle of Skye, one of my favourite paces on earth 🙂 Not as warm as Indonesia though
Beautiful photos! I like how wide and open the landscapes are. It makes me think of all the possibilities in exploring them! 🙂
Yes, just looking back at these photos gave me itchy feet. Such beautiful landscapes just waiting to be explored…I love the feeling of freedom which comes with being immersed in these wild and empty spaces 🙂
Wonderful indeed!
Beautiful images – can’t wait to see Scotland this year! And as usual, a well-written, thoughtful essay. What if every day was like a road leading us somewhere? What if everyone we meet each day is a fellow traveler who holds some information for us?
That’s how I try to think…when I remember….the whole of our life is a journey to be enjoyed, don’t just wait for the big adventures, there’s so much to be experienced and learned right under our feet now! Where in Scotland will you visit?
Still designing my full route, but Inverness is the main location.
Thanks, I’ll take you up on the offer once I’ve done a bit more research!
yes, this! so much!
i love the way you say things i’ve been thinking about.
there is nothing like just choosing a road and following it to see where it takes you…physical or metaphorical. (i usually find myself humming tolkien’s road poem when i set off.)
I must be doing that mind reading thing again 🙂 And you must tell me where I can find/ listen to Tolkien’s road poem….it sounds perfect for such occasions!
wikipedia has very helpfully collected all versions of it here: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Road_Goes_Ever_On_%28song%29
it is a marvellous thing.
What a wonderful song, I love it, thanks so much for introducing it to me 🙂 I’m a big fan of Tolkien, but somehow this song had passed under my radar! I might take up your habit and start my wanderings with it too.
you’re most welcome! 🙂
my mum started reading the trilogy to me when i was very small, so it’s in my blood by now.
Yes, they are all lovely, words and photos! And about travelling – that’s true. My daughter loves trains and travelling by them. She says they carry her in between. You are nowhere and belong nowhere. No start no ending. You feel free because the existence of time and place is not there.
Indeed, and I was thinking about train journeys as I wrote 🙂
Given my particular appreciation for sheep you will understand why the very first image was my favorite. Your words resonate … but, for me, in a theoretical sense only. I wish I were free to journey. Perhaps you speak of our metaphysical wanderings? If that’s the case then, I’m with you. Every day is a journey. Every hours, every minute. I am not sure what causes this to happen … but every so often I feel as if my ‘reset’ button has been pushed. I feel, as a result, refreshed and ready to tackle whatever is on the plate in front of me. Perhaps there will be a future time when physical journeys become part of my life? Let’s hope. D
Oh yes, metaphorical journeys are just as good, sometimes better than physical ones. Of course it could be a journey just to get to the end of your road 🙂 The road as a metaphor for the adventure which is our lives, it works for me!
Beautiful shots Seonaid! Scotland’s roads are amazing – around every corner is another spectacular scene!
Thanks 🙂 Perhaps I can claim that my habit of constantly snapping shots is a result of living in such a photogenic country….. I like that idea. My husband claims he’s a photography widower! Now I can blame Scotland 🙂
It’s ok – my hubby would probably say the same thing. My family is tolerant of my ‘stop and shoot behaviour’ – to an extent – but just don’t mention the words ‘botanical gardens’ to them. HAHA. Those are trips better left to the ‘self’.
Wow – your shots are just fabulous!
And I agree about travelling – oh, the freedom of being totally isolated and immersed in new cultures.
Thanks 🙂 Here’s to freedom and the open road!
Beautiful! Both the words and photos. Thank you!
You’re very welcome 🙂
Absolutely splendid images! And you’re right: we have to keep on moving–just one foot in front of the other, and there are wonderful discoveries to be made, right… NOW.
Thanks Lemony…and now I’m off to move my feet, walking the dogs into the here and now 🙂