Spring forward

I was having a debate with a friend over the weekend about when spring starts. Some people say it starts at the vernal equinox (ie last weekend), while others say it's after Easter (after Spring break). But since British Summer Time officially started today with the clocks going forward an hour, I guess that means we're into summer already. Which by my reckoning makes spring at best a week long. Maybe that's climate change for you?

Whatever the right answer is, there is no question that one of the results of the clocks going forward is that the evenings are lighter (doh!). To celebrate I went for an early evening wander round the great city of Stirling. While this photograph wasn't actually taken on today's walk, it is one of the spots I visited - I'm confessing about the photograph by the way since locals will be able to tell that the sun in this photo is coming from the east, ie it's a morning rather than an evening shot!!

Anyway, it was a lovely evening. The afternoon rain had passed leaving that lovely clear light you get after a downpour, and with the sun starting to set over the Arrochar Alps and Ben Lomond, all of which you can see from this viewpoint in the Old Town Cemetery, it was a great end to the day.

And it wasn't just the natural landscape that was looking good either - a wander round Stirling is always a joy. There are so many fantastic buildings - some of which are captured in my flickr Stirling album - that there's always something new to find. Tonight's discoveries were the Argyll Centre on Princes Street, now closed and on the market if anyone is interested, a rear view of the fabulous Tolbooth building and the open roof on the Church of the Holy Rude, something I've never noticed before even though I've wandered up that direction many a time.

Even losing an hour's sleep didn't seem so bad after that as an early evening adventure! Roll on the summer.