Day: October 23, 2015

Loch Noble, Pinewinds (Flickr) – click any image for full size

It’s been a good while since I’ve had the opportunity to visit a {Noble} build in Second Life, so much so that I’m not altogether sure as to how many I may have missed since last writing about them far back in 2013. So when both Caledonia Skytower and Cube Republic both poked me about Loch Noble at practically the same time, I knew it is time for me to prepare myself for a visual treat and re-acquaint myself with these fabulous region designs.

Designed by Blossom Noble (AaliyahBlossom) and Noa Noble (VonDutch Sweetwater), Loch Noble carries a very Scottish feel in its name and in some of its looks, although it also carries with it touches of England and the continent (or perhaps America) in some of the smaller details.

Loch Noble, Pinewinds (Flickr)

Divided into four areas by the careful use of water, the region presents a series of individual settings which naturally flow together to present a complete landscape to the visitor. The landing point, for example, sits on an old fortification itself located at the foot of low cliffs, above which can be found a small hamlet with a quite urban look to it. To reach it, new arrivals must follow a wooden board walk, the cliffs to one side and a body of water – perhaps the loch of the region’s title – on the other, until they reach a dry stone wall and gate. Turn left after passing through the gate, and you can make your way up to the town, turn right and you can follow the track over a bridge and through a rural landscape to the Noble’s private home (do please respect their privacy!).

The little town offers a couple of streets, some shops and some little touches of the UK – a Royal Mail pillar box with an old red telephone booth not far away, for example – while through a gated side passage (or around the corner at the far end of a street) sits a cosy little pub overlooking the broad waters, with the hills of the region surround beyond again presenting an illusion of being on the banks of a loch.

Loch Noble, Pinewinds (Flickr)

From the town, and by following the paths, visitors can make their way to the more rugged landscape on the east side of the region. This is again split into two by a narrow channel of water, the land to the north comprising a high rocky plateau with a health-like feel to the top, and which hides a secret within (follow the path to the cave entrance, or take the ladder down  the well-like opening on the plateau). Across the narrow divide, on lower land sits a henge, a screen of trees and another little stream separating it from the Noble’s house.

This is a beautifully located location in which everything flows together naturally. Considerable effort appears to have been taken to ensure the region surround blends at much as possible with the region’s appearance, giving further depth to the landscape. This is particularly apparent in the more upland areas, where the region surround frequently gives the illusion of the landscape rolling away to a hazy and quite natural horizon.

Loch Noble, Pinewinds (Flickr)

The {Noble} builds in Second Life have always been somewhat special; places to be savoured rather than just visited. While it may not in small parts be entirely mindful of Scotland, Loch Noble nevertheless maintains this tradition in composition and presentation. I’m certainly enamoured with it, and confess to enjoying spending my time at the henge and up on the rocky plateau in particular; so much so that you may find me loitering at one or the other when you visit!

SLurl Details

• Loch Noble, Pinewinds (Rated: Moderate)