Ruins attract me, regardless of what they are of. When we went to Arrochar, a small village on the shores of Loch Long last weekend, this remains of what looked like that of a pier caught my eye straight on. This view from just outside of the “three villages community centre” particularly so, looking towards what are known as the “Arrochar Alps”. I processed a bit to try to give this an old photo look.

We spent this (2017) year’s Christmas break in the Lake District, and managed to go out a bit on days that were relatively less wet. On the way back to our base just outside Greystoke village from a day trip to Windermere, we stopped briefly at Swirls car park and were greeted with this amazing view of Thirlmere and beyond. The sun was about to set, hence the golden lighting on top of the hills (or mountains if you will). I'’m determined to travel back in the summer for nice walks around here - it was too cold and wet this time around.

A close-up shot of a tall fern(?) stalk inside one of the glass houses at the Glasgow Botanic Garden.

This photo was my favourite desktop background for quite a few months after I captured it during a summer hike on the Kungsleden in northern Sweden.

This is a macro shot of anther and stigma of a yellow lily flower, with the former full of pollens. The shot was taken indoor with the natural light from the sun coming in through the windows. I used my old Canon EOS 400D with an EF-S 60mm (f/2.8) macro lens for this shot.

The last of our field research sites is also one of the remotest. It took us five days just to get to the site from the capital Tana (Antananarivo for those not familiar). The hilly region is full of fast flowing streams and rivers, and the landscape beautiful. But life of the people there is extremely hard, with few options than hill-rice farming. Extreme poverty was clear to see everywhere. As you arrive at a village outskirts, you know the village is nearby from the strong stench you experience from the open defecation. People have few good clothes to wear, the dwellings are very basic - built from bamboo and twigs, and banana leaves or palm fronds for the roof. Despite the hardship and extreme poverty, people were welcoming and treated us well, even letting us stay in one of the better huts.

The ornate gate right across the bridge is not in use but the entry to the Necropolis in Glasgow via this bridge, apparently called the ‘‘Bridge of Sighs’’, is nevertheless dramatic. Most of the larger tombs are on the top of the hill, making it really look like a settlement on the top, a city for the dead who could pay for a luxurious afterlife. Its a fascinating place to visit if you are visiting Glasgow.

For those who have been to Mauritius as tourists or planning to go there, this probably comes high up in to see list.

A section of the Florence Cathedral (Il Duomo di Firenze), taken in December 2012.