In early May while driving between Burt & Bridgend I noticed this unusual feature on the side of Scalp mountain overlooking the village of Burnfoot. In a moment of sheer inspiration I thought that it resembled an eye keeping a lookout over the village and surrounding countryside. The J. Milton Hayes poem from my school days came to mind I but could not get past the first line! So I stopped the car and took a picture.No doubt some one will be saying; "It would fit you better to have been looking where you were going instead of watching at the hills"! But it is unusual to have a camera when you see something interesting to take. How many times have you heard people say; "if I only had a camera"?
Whins, gorse, furze or whatever you may call it grows in dry ground and as far as I know it is in bloom every month of the year except for July. It has the reputation of being extremely hardy but a lot of it was killed in Donegal by the frosts in the winter just past and gorse fires caused more damage. However, the resilient whin will not give up that easy and next spring it will again light up the country side, contrasting well with the "fertiliser green" of the fields.
