We have been experiencing exceptionally warm weather in Cumbria over the last couple of days, I decided to head to Wasdale for a sunrise session, not realising that the day was the summer solstice.
Upon approaching Wast Water, I could not believe my eyes, every parking place was taken with cars of campervans, I drove some considerable distance along the lake, but nothing changed, car, after car, so I turned round and retraced my route to find a parking spot.
I was soon pulled up on a grass verge, well off the road so that traffic could pass safely., I then headed down towards the lakes edge to look for a decent composition to capture the impending sunrise, not a chance, there were tents at all the locations which I could use.
So, plan “B”, I headed up from the shore to try and use the road as a leading line into the scene. As I was heading up for the lake shore, I bumped into a group of wild swimmers who were coming out of the water, a very friendly bunch of people they were, fancy going for a swim at 5.45 am !!
I found a reasonable place on a small mound to set up, and began the waiting for the sun to rise above Great Gable and Kirk Fell to the east.
The sunrise was short, not much time for pre-sunrise colours, which soon became hard light. It can be frustrating having to get up a daft o clock in the night to get to a location, then what seems like a blink of an eye, its over.
The Road to the Sunrise
Whilst I was waiting for the sun to rise, I got to thinking, was the fact that it was the Summer Solstice that there were so many people camping or visiting Wasdale on this morning, or was t the fact that we were having a exceptionally warm spell of weather which had enticed all these people to be out at such a time?
Golden Sunrise
By the way, I am not grumbling about people being out in the countryside, they have as much right as anyone else (including me) to be enjoying the experience, I found it a little confusing to understand that’s all.
I took the scenic route home, heading south before turning north on the A595, as I was pottering along the road, I seen four Roe Dear in a field, managing to catch a photo on one, they certainly do not hang around once a human is close by.
Roe Dear
I also came across a Buzzard perched on a farmers gate post, no doubt eyeing up its breakfast. I didn’t have chance to grab the camera, but it was pleasing to watch such a beautiful bird out in the wild, it was soon off looking for a meal though.
I stopped off at Egremont to grab a coffee, surprised to note that it was still only 6.15am.
One home, time to edit the photos an plan where too tomorrow!!
For all the years that I have been taking photographs, I have always found that I encounter a rollercoaster of emotions, I am either really enjoying the experience, or I am in a slump and find it difficult to find the enthusiasm to get out with the camera.
An example of this is that at the end of 2024 I sat down and reviewed my photography exploits for the year, I was surprised to find that during 2024 I was out with the camera for the least number of times, and that I had taken the least number of photographs for many years.
I made a conscious decision that 2025 was going to be a different story, so my mindset was to get out with the camera whenever I could, and to stop listening to the monkey on my shoulder telling me no to bother. By the time April came around, I have achieved a significant increase in the number of photography visits than in the previous year and greatly increased the number of photographs that I had taken.
The icing on the cake was me attending a week’s photography workshop in Assynt which is in the far north of Scotland at the end of March, with Dean Allan Photography, this was a fantastically enjoyable week, where we were out from dawn to dusk taking photographs with likeminded people and us all having a blast. (See my previous posts for more details of this adventure here)
A fence to Stac Pollaidh, Assynt, Scotland
Upon my return home it took me several weeks to view and process the photos that I had taken in the week, I then needed to spend a substantial number of hours updating and refreshing my website, even fitting several photography sessions in whilst completing the editing and website updates. Upon completion of the editing and website work, I was really pleased with the results.
As we headed into late spring and early summer the negative thoughts began to return, sunrises were becoming earlier and earlier, I was again not getting out into the landscape for what were minor and stupid reasons, and I was again fighting the demons in my head. We are now in the second week of June, and I have already cancelled several alarm calls and stayed wrapped up warm and cozy in my bed.
So, how can my mood swings change so quickly and regularly, its time for some self-reflection. I will admit that in previous years, summer is a quiet time photography wise for me as my excursions decrease markedly, probably due the early sunrises, late sunsets and the harsh summer light.
So, what can I do to resolve this situation? I have made the decision that I am not going to fight this lack of enthusiasm, I will take a month or so off from photography in the hope that I can re-charge my batteries, and come late summer, and autumn seasons I will be back to normal. Time will tell!!
So, what is the purpose of this article, I hope that it highlights the fact that my photography is not an all-year-round activity, for which I am constantly enthused towards it.
There are times when I have a negative mindset and cannot find the enthusiasm to work at my photography 12 months a year, year after year, it just does not happen.
Let’s see what the summer of 2025 is like for me.
Achmelvich Beach, Assynt, Scotland
Thank you for finding the time to read this article, and for your support towards my photography, be it by likes, shares, comments, on social media, or by visiting my website.
Our next stop after the Elphin Bothy was the Allt Chranaidh Waterfall, also known as the Wailing Widow Falls. There is a small, very small area to park on the side of A894 road, from where you can see the stream that comes from the waterfall, the volume of water flowing down this stream did not look too promising. We then trekked along the path which followed the stream for 15 minutes of so, the path was not the easiest to follow in parts, but manageable. As we rounded a bend of the stream we saw the waterfall for the first time, and wow, what a sight. The waterfall was huge and by God there was a sizable volume of water cascading down the falls. The waterfall plunges about 50 feet down from a rocky cliff into a pool below. As we spread out, all looking for a decent position to photograph the falls, it was quite awe-inspiring to feel the force of the water hitting the pool at the bottom of the falls, and us being constantly covered in the spray from the water as it was thrown up and about. As any person would do, I began by trying to capture the grand vista, but I soon became more interested in the detail of the water as it hit the various ledges in the bottom third of the falls, I was photographing these in colour, but the images are virtually black and white. I was very pleased with some of these detailed images.
Allt Chranaidh WaterfallVertical Lines
By the time we returned to the bus, Dean told us that we would head back to Stoer Beach to get some shots of the larger waves which should be prevalent due to the increasing winds, the bonus of this would be that we would not have far to travel back to the house for our evening meal.
Once parked at Stoer Bay, we headed to the beach, this being a broad bay with the waves battering the shore. I found a bench seat which overlooked the scene, so I set about capturing an image including this item. From there I walked up a small incline which was covered in high Marran Grass, here I wanted to create a bit of foreground interest and use the shape of the Marran Grass to frame the shot.
Stoer Bay
Once we were all content with the images we took, we headed back to the house to have a wash, change into clean dry clothing and sample another of Lucy’s lovely meals. Post meal was spent relaxing and chatting about the day’s activities and what we thought about the images we had taken. After another long day, it wasn’t long until I drifted off to bed for a good night’s sleep, as day 4 was going to be another early start.
Day 4.
A 5.30 am, the alarm woke me, giving me time to get ready, and enjoy another very nice cooked Scottish breakfast. This morning was 3-hour journey northwards, up to Durness, but onwards across the north of Scotland to several new locations.
Our fist stop-off was to be at Moine House, this was quite a distance past Durness, and we passed some outstanding beaches on the way, more on these later. Moine House is a ruined house on the vast expanse of boggy moorland between the Kyle of Tongue and Loch Hope, which serves as both a useful reference point and focal point in an otherwise bare landscape. Intended as a halfway house for weary travelers crossing the bog, it was also a family home and in 1881 it housed three generations, totaling four adults and five grandchildren. The last occupant seems to have been one of the grandchildren who was three years old in 1881.
Moine House.
From Moine House we travelled eastwards to Loch Eriboll, here Dean suggested we head along the headland which would provide a grand vista looking along the Loch and emphasise the lone cottage on the small headland that reaches out into the Loch. Loch Eriboll is a 16 km (9.9 mi) long sea loch on the north coast of Scotland, which has been used for centuries as a deep-water anchorage as it is safe from the often-stormy seas of Cape Wrath and the Pentland Firth. The Royal Navy have been frequent visitors to the loch, particularly during World War II. There are stones arranged by sailors into the names of their warships, including HMS Hood and Amethyst, on the hillside above the hamlet of Laid. It was nicknamed “Lock Orrible” by the British servicemen stationed here during the war because of the often-inclement weather.
As we headed around the headland we were hit by the very strong offshore wind, this becoming so strong that I had to hold on to the tripod when taking photographs, even when standing in front of the tripod to act as a windbreak. Upon viewing several of the images which I took at Loch Eriboll these were not perfectly sharp, as disappointing as I was, we still visited an outstanding location, one which I would never have found if I was left to my own devices.
Loch Eriboll.
Our next location was to the stunning Ceannabeine Beach, this dramatic gently sloping beach with its cliffs of pink rock is only a short walk from the car park on the A838. The beach was once known as Traigh Alt Chailgeag, “The beach of the burn of bereavement and death” which tells the story of a lady who died after falling in the burn and was found on the beach. The beach has spectacular views of the island of Eilean Hoan, the burial island, which is now a nature reserve. Sir Walter Scot, the famous novelist visited Ceannabeine in 1814. The historic harbour of Rispond, built in 1788, is a short walk over the hill from the beach. There is a zip wire that travels along the beach, although this was closed when we were there. The view form high up on the surrounding cliffs were stunning, acers of golden whit sand, turquoise-coloured waters, and substantially sized waves which were being blown backwards by the strong offshore winds. I concentrated on capturing some images from the viewpoint on the cliffs, before walking down on to the sands, it was only then that I was battered by the brutal offshore winds. This did become a substantial problem, as I needed to keep the sand and spray away from the camera and lenses, quite a challenge.
The waves were an immediate draw; these were brilliantly coloured with streams of spray being blew rearwards. I traversed the full width of the beach, ending up at the eastern end where there were some gorgeous, coloured stacks, these just had to be photographed.
In total we were at and on Ceannabeine Beach for over three hours, we could have stayed even longer. Quite simply an outstanding location.
Ceannabeinne Beach
We grabbed some food and drinks in the car park overlooking the beach, where the conversation was about the shear beauty of this place.
Once fed and watered, we loaded into the transit for the 3 hours plus journey back to the house via our final location for the day at Loch Assynt.
Upon arriving at Loch Assynt, we were located further along the Loch to photograph some lovely small islands which had old or dead trees growing on them. We were very lucky as these islands were intermittently illuminated by glorious side light.
To get to a viewpoint of these islands it needed a hike across some boggy but uneven ground. At this location I had arranged a composition there was some considerable time waiting for the light to arrive, but the final images fully justified this waiting.
Loch Assynt
Day 5
This was planned to be a shorter day as Day 4 had been a very long, but enjoyable day. Having said that, the day began with a short pre sunrise drive to Stoer Bay to capture a lovely, placed cottage which overlooks the bay, The forecast was projecting a possible sunrise colour show, so we were all eager to be in position to capture what we seen.
I was set up on a small mound to place the cottage on the third intersection of the image and include the dry-stone walls as leading lines/foreground interest. I took a couple of blue hour shots, which I was very pleased with, but we were waiting for the colour in the sky, we waited, and waited, we were at the point where we were about to accept that the sunrise was not going to be the best, when hey-ho, the colour arrived, for a 10 minute period the sky suddenly illuminated with lovely pink colures, what a time, what a place to be.
We all agreed that this morning, the location and conditions were well worth the early alarm call.
From here we headed back to the house for a well-deserved breakfast, very content that we had captured some quality photographs.
Stoer Cottage
After breakfast we headed for Achmelvich, Dean explained that this was the first location he photographed when he moved to the highlands, and it was easy to understand why, the beaches were sublime, with turquoise-coloured waters again.
Achmelvich as two beaches, these being divided by a rocky outcrop, we headed for the far beach, and what views we were greeted with, even though it was an overcast morning the colour of the sea and sand blew me away.
This was a special location, which deserved some time to capture the views of it, probably that is why we spent nearly 3 hours here.
Achmelvich Bay.
On the way to Clachtoll we were to call into a famous pie shop in Lochinvar, The Lochinvar Larder, they bake fresh pies every day and produce some hearty home cooked meals. Needless to say, none of us were disappointed with the food, it was scrumptious. We need some time for the food to digest before we set off to Clachtoll.
Clachtoll Beach
We arrived at Clachtoll Beach in time for sunset and to find that the conditions were so, so different from our previous visit. The Assynt mountains could be seen in the distance, all illuminated by the golden glow of the setting sun. The Split Rock was bathed in golden light which highlighted the different colours and shapes of the rock. I then headed along the shoreline towards the headland, and what I found was amazing, I thought that I was approaching a cliff, but Gary encouraged me to get closer to the edge, and what a surprise it was, nit a shear cliff face, but a 45 degree slope all the way down to the waters edge, in essence, a repeat of the Split Rock conditions.
The sun was by now fast approaching the horizon, so I tried to incorporate this into to the rock formations which I have described, sadly my efforts were no the best, but they are a memory to me of what a fantastic sunset experience this was.
Clachtoll PanoramicClachtoll Sunset.
Day 6.
First location of the day was to the Assynt Stone Viewpoint, where we hoped to capture some early morning images of Suilven and the surrounding mountains, only to find that all the mountains were hidden by the low-lying clouds. I did manage to get a half decent image of Suilven hidden in cloud, but with a moody element to the photo.
Moody Suilven.
From the viewpoint we headed for the Elphin Bothy again as the light was far better than the first visit. I again got some remote looking images of this lovely location.
Elphin Bothy.
From here we travelled the short distance to Lochan an Ais where I used a small spring and the grass on the Lochan shore as foreground interest when looking towards the Assynt mountains.
Lochan an Ais Assynt
Our next location was to the Stac Pollaidh viewpoint, it was here that I captured some of the best atmospheric photos of the trip. Conditions were not ideal, a strong wind driving rain clad clouds across the sky, this meant that we would get wet at regular intervals but produced some exquisite lighting on the scene, so all it entailed was, pick a composition, then wait for the weather conditions to provide the lighting conditions that you wanted.
I set off using the road as a leading line towards Stack Pollaidh set in a portrait orientation, the lighting was special.
From here I moved across the road on to the top of a little mound which produced a great view of the valley with Stack Pollaidh in the distance, again I was dodging the rain showers to wait for the light to arrive, again I got some great photos.
Dean then suggested that I would maybe like to move to incorporate some rocks in the foreground but had lines in them heading off towards Stack Pollaidh, this location produced some very good photographs for me. Yes, we got wet, and were cold, but the conditions produced some very good photographs for us.
Stac Pollaidh.
The weather was visibly worsening, with low level cloud cover, more constant rain and drizzle which produced flat dull lighting conditions, so Dean suggested we head for Bardentarbet Pier where we could get a nice cup of tea or coffee in a unique café. The décor of this building was amazing, a mixture of all things old and fishing related, the lady serving the tea and coffee was very friendly and gave us loads of information about the building, why it was created and the plans for the Summer Islands which are privately owned.
The weather was improving, ever so slightly on the coast, so Dean suggested we headed in land a little to Coigach to see if we could get some shots across the bay looking towards the Assynt mountains. Unfortunately, when we arrived the weather gods were not behaving, driving rain, low cloud and flat light greeted us. We all got out to take photographs, but the conditions were against us, I will show you one of mine below.
Coigach Assynt.
Dean, being the optimist, suggested we drive a certain route in the hope that we would bump into some better weather, we drove, and drove, but conditions were worsening. The obvious decision was made, head back to the house as the weather was pretty foul by now.
So, we brought our 6-day adventure to an end, not in the best way, but this did not detract from the whole experience.
I had a warm shower and got changed to begin packing and loading up the car for the return homeward journey the next morning.
The evening meal on the last night was a general chat on how we had found the workshop, what we had got from it, and generally chatted about our thoughts of the week.
As I was the first to set off the next morning, I said my farewells incase I did not sea everyone the following morning.
The Last Morning.
I got up at 6 am to load up the car and empty my room. Lucy was making a lovely bacon sandwich and Gary some porridge for me.
Just before I left the house for the 8.5-hour journey home, we said our farewells. Driving away from the house on my own had me reflecting on the weeks workshop. The whole experience had been very enjoyable, the group were all very friendly and easy to get on with, the accommodation was excellent, the food was scrumptious, and Dean had been a very good leader throughout, what more could you ask of a workshop?
Conclusion
Personally, I found the whole experience very worthwhile, the cost of the workshop was what it was, and yes, some would say it was expensive, but when you consider what we got out of the experience, in my opinion it was very worthwhile.
We got the knowledge and guidance of Dean Allan Photography, he (and Gary) drove us from location to location, many of these that I was not aware of and would not have found. Lucy and Gary provide us with three meals a day, which I found to be extremely enjoyable, they even accommodated any dietary needs wherever possible.
The company of the group was great; we were all like-minded people who wanted similar aims from the week.
Dean was very approachable, friendly and knowledgeable about the local area and all things photography.
Did I find the experience worthwhile? Defiantly, and I would highly recommend one of Deans Allan Workshops if you are in a similar situation to me, i.e., love photography, have not visited the area before, would like to visit local locations, and have the support of a very competent professional photographer, then go ahead and book a trip.
Thank you for finding the time to read this blog (split into two parts) and I hope you have found it interesting and enjoyed looking at my images from the trip.
I have an affinity with Scotland for my photography, we regularly visit Glencoe, the Isle of Skye and have visited many other locations in Scotland. Each has its own merits, and compositions, the common denominator being the Scottish weather, this can never be taken for granted and must, always be accounted for when visiting the country.
One area that I have always wanted to visit is Torridon and Assynt, but it is a very long way to travel to begin finding and scouting locations, accommodation is not readily available, and travel times are substantially longer than the norm.
I began thinking about what would be the easiest and most time effective way to visit these areas, I then became aware of several professional photographers who run “workshops” in these areas, these being of four, five, six or more days, some including accommodation only, some being “all inclusive” that is, all your meals are included for the duration of the workshop.
So, 12 months ago I took the plunge and booked a 6-day all-inclusive workshop with Dean Allan photography in Assynt. We were to be based in a large 9-bedroom house at Clashnessie, not far from Clachtoll, Sutherland, Assynt in the far north-west of Scotland.
In no time, it was time to begin packing and planning my journey up to Clashnessie, an 8.5-hour car journey from my home. I decided that I would break the journey up with an overnight stay in Inverness, followed by a relative 3-hour journey to Clashnessie, but coming home, I would start the journey as early as possible and aim to make it home in one journey.
So, the day arrived, I finished work, packed the car, said my farewells to Carole and off I set. A 6.5-hour journey up to Inverness where I was booked into the Leonardo Hotel for the evening. I reached Inverness easily, but the sat-nav sent me on a mystery tour of Inverness before I finally managed to find the hotel, the maddening thing was that it was located at the end of the slip road off the A9.
I was soon checked in and settled in for the night, I grabbed some food from the restaurant, had a couple of drinks and was soon fast asleep. The next morning saw me get a hearty Scottish breakfast. I was soon checked out and off to fill the car with fuel before the journey over to Clashnessie.
I found the hotel very reasonable, it didn’t cost the earth, and the food was very reasonable. The staff were helpful and friendly, with the room being clean, and well equipped.
I arrived at Clashnessie at about 1pm, but the house was not available until 4pm, so I took myself down to the beach to take some photos and help put the time in.
A small Lochan on the way to Clashnessie
Once at the house, I was met by Gary and Lucy who would be providing our food throughout the stay, with Gary also assisting Dean on our travels to the various locations. Once everyone arrived, introductions were made, 5 of us being paying photographers and Dean provided a brief explanation for the 6 days ahead. This was topped off by a lovely evening meal expertly cooked by Lucy.
Day 1.
A very early start, 4.15 am alarm call for a pre-sunrise visit to Stoer Lighthouse. We would be using Dean’s 7-seater transit bus. What a location, we stayed there for a couple of hours then retuned back to the house for a lovely, cooked breakfast. We were also provided with a packed lunch for the day comprising of a sandwich of your choice, crisps, cake, biscuits, and a couple of bottles of water.
Stoer Lighthouse – Panoramic
Once breakfast was finished Dean explained that the rest of the day would be relatively local to the house to make travelling easier for the first day, so we took the very short walk down to Clashnessie beach where we set about finding compositions of the location, the sands was a lively golden colour with turquoise waters lapping at the shore, this was to become a common theme throughout the 6 day trip.
Clashnessie Bay
From Clashnessie beach we then travelled to Ardvreck Castle, a location that I had drove past the day before on my journey up to Clashnessie, here, Dean provided us with some history of the castle and of the story behind the castle’s ghost. He also provided suggestions/recommendations of the best compositions for the location. Dean also provided some history of the ruined castle which helped
Ardvreck Castle
As the weather was closing in, with rain, low clouds and a strengthening wind headed for Clachtoll beach. It was here that I saw the famous Split Rock for the first time. It was here that I had a chat with Gary, and he suggested a couple of alternative viewpoints of the split rock, advice that I eagerly took. Although the wind was now blowing quite strong and squally showers were present, we spent quite a while here, but Dean did say that we would return when conditions were better.
We returned to the house at 7.15 pm, so day one had been a long, but enjoyable day. Time for a wash and change before we were provided with another excellent evening meal by Gary and Lucy.
Post-meal, we sat down and chatted about all thing’s photography, as we got to know each other more. Dean gave us an update on the next day’s weather which was contradictory depending on which forecast was used, but he thought that it was not going to be the best, so he planned the next day’s travelling accordingly.
Day 2
A little lie-in this morning lol, up at 6.30 am for breakfast then a journey north. The first stop was going to ne at the lovely Kylesku Bridge, which is an outstanding piece of engineering. The curve of the bridge being quite unique. Again, Dean gave us some recommendations, but left us to our own devices, if anyone wanted, or needed guidance, he was always on hand to provide this. A good example of this was that whilst we were all concentrating on the bridge to photograph, he noticed three red deer on a small hill behind us, they were as interested in us as we were them.
Kylesku BridgeRed Dear above the Kylesku Bridge
From the Kylesku Bridge we continued northwards to Loch Stack. The first stop here was to photograph a lovely little Bothy near the loch’s shore. I headed off in a slightly different direction to try my luck at getting a slightly different image of this. I also found some small tree saplings growing at a crazy 30–60-degree angle. Whilst tramping through the terrain, I inadvertently placed my foot in an awkward position which really stretched my Achilles tendon. This had been damaged several weeks before and was healing nicely, however this little incident re-stretched the tendon, which would leave me in some pain and discomfort for the rest of the week.
Loch Stack BothyLock Stack Trees
From here we continued to travel along the shore of Loch Stack to the far end of the loch, here we disembarked from the bus to photograph some lovely reeds in the water, a boathouse, with all this being set against a lovely mountain backdrop which had different layers of colored rock which followed the contours of the mountain.
Loch Stack ReedsLoch Stack Path
Next stop was as for north as you can go on the western coast of Scotland; we arrived a Durness, and what a place, the beach was unbelievable. We were soon on the beach photographing the incoming waves which were being blown backwards by the strong offshore winds. Unfortunately, the rain returned which made things a tad challenging. Sand was soon getting everywhere, but the colour of the water and the rising waves made for some really nice photographs.
Durness Beach
Once we were all content with the photos that we had taken we reconvened at the bus, we now had a 2.5-hour journey back to Clashnessie, and with the worsening weather this would probably be the end of today’s photography. Once back at the house, it was time for a shower and some camera cleaning chores before another excellent meal and sociable gathering to close off day 2.
Day 3
Day 3 began with a retune to Ardvreck Castle as the weather gods were playing ball today, and even though it was our second visit to the location, we were capturing such different images due to the different weather conditions. It was here that Dean was explaining how he captured one of his first published photographs, so I thought that if it was good enough for a magazine, then it would be good enough for me. A brisk climb up a substantial incline gained me some height so that I could use the road as a leading line through the image. I had to be careful though as I was using a long exposure to capture the panoramic image, but the wind was very strong, so I had to really dig the tripod spikes into the ground, and even then, I had to stand in front of the tripod to try and reduce the force of the wind buffeting it.
The Road to Lochinver
Our next location was Elphin Bothy, a small Bothy that originally used to be a Dog Kennel for the local landowner. Dean was very clued-up on the history of this building, again this adds interest to the photograph that you are taking. Whilst here, I noticed an old washing line behind a property with very stained and marked clothing hanging from the lines and structure. Upon looking in more detail, the cloths pegs still attached to the washing lines and the old pots and pans added a great story to the photograph. I could not resist taking the shot.
Elphin BothyThe Washing is Out
will conclude the first part of this blog here as it will become too large for one post. Part 2 will follow shortly. Thank you for taking the time to read this article, I hope you found it of some interest.
Me and my wife (Carole) had booked a week’s visit to the Isle of Skye with the aim of having a relaxing time, and to try and secure some decent photography, weather depending.
We were staying in the excellent Cuillin Hills Hotel in Portree, a hotel we have stayed at on several occasions in the past.
We always break our journey into two days, we travel form Cumbria to Fort William on day one, then a comfortable journey on to the Isle of Skye, we find that this reduces the anxiety in travelling and allows us to stop off if we like and even allows some roadside photography if this arises.
The journey up to Fort William was largely uneventful, except for a short stop off in Glencoe to snap a couple of images from the roadside.
The Glencoe Lone Tree
We arrived at our hotel in Fort William only to be very unsatisfied with the establishment, our room smelled of damp and was not in very good condition. A complaint to reception, resulted in a move, into a much better room.
However, when we went for our evening meal, we found that the menu was very basic, the service was not good, and the staff were not the friendliest.
I have decided not to name the hotel in this article, as I do not want to influence other people who may be booked into the hotel in the coming weeks and months, however if you would like to know the name of the establishment, drop me a line from where I will update you.
Day 1
The next morning breakfast was skipped for a Morrisons supermarket one.
Once we had eaten, we filled the car with fuel then set off for a leisurely drive to Skye, however our first stop was a quick dash over to Corpach to visit the shipwreck that is beached on the shore, from here I captured a couple of photos with Ben Nevis in the background, and a couple of unusual angles of the ship.
The Corpach Shipwreck
As we arrived at Spean Bridge, we mentioned the Royal Commando Memorial, one which we have drove past on several occasions, so this time we decided to stop off and visit.
The monument is very nice and well cared for gardens with ample parking. Upon visiting the statue, this is a fitting memorial, depicting three commandoes standing on a stone plinth looking south towards Ben Nevis. On the day of our visit there was heavy cloud cover with shafts of light striking the ground around the monument.
We then walked the short distance to the Garden of Remembrance, this really struck a chord with me, firstly there is a ashes scattering area where the ashes of deceased service men and women can be spread. We then entered the remembrance area, where photos, messages and plagues of fallen service men and women are laid. Several of these messages had small bottles of whisky taped to them, very moving. Also, when reading the messages from surviving family members brought home the sacrifice that has been made by the many service men and women of this country, especially in Afghanistan.
We left the Garden of Remembrance in a very somber mood, but this is a very fitting tribute to the fallen.
The Royal Commando Memorial
Our next stop was at Eilean Donan Castle, primely for a toilet stop and to get a lovely hot cup of tea. Upon pulling into the car park, we were surprised to note how quiet it was, not one coach in the car park, only 6 cars parked and no ques anywhere. In the building.
We had a short walk about to stretch the legs, then drove up to the viewpoint to grab a image of the castle.
Eilean Donan Castle
From here we had the short drive on to the Isle of Skye then up to Portree to check in to the hotel.
Once settled in, we enjoyed an evening meal and drinks in the hotel restaurant, and as usual the hotel staff were very good, always friendly, available to help where they can and always offering advice.
Day 2
The day started with me taking the short drive down to Sligachan to capture some images of the cold and icy conditions that we had.
I had the morning to concentrate on trying to find compositions which captures the icy conditions, I even took a walk along the banks of the river Sligachan to find original compositions.
I got as far has the white cottage, then retraced my route back to the car, and returned to the hotel.
The afternoon was spent strolling around Portree sampling the hospitality and shopping experience.
River Sligachan Waterfall
Day 3
The plans for the second day began with a run up to the Quiraing where I have been trying to get to a location which is south of the Quiraing car park for the last three visits to the Isle of Skye, only to be denied on each occasion by the weather.
The forecast for the sunrise was very promising, sunshine, no rain, but high winds. I arrived at the Quiraing car park an hour before sunrise, got packed and set off following the path towards Bioda Buidhe, for where I was hoping to shoot back towards the north capturing Cleat, Dun Dubh, and Druim an Ruma as foreground interest.
It took me an hour to reach Bioda Buidhe, from where I continued south over the summit, then turned left down a very steep slope from where I could look north towards the Quiraing. Here I was fighting the very steep slope, I definitely did not want to slip, fall or slide down the slope as there was a very daunting drop of several hundred feed at the bottom of the slope. I was also fighting the very strong wind, this was so strong that it prevented me from extending my tripod to its full height, so here I was scrambling about on my knees to ensure a steady footing for the camera could be achieved.
The light was gorgeous, lovely warm side light, so all I had to do was to pick out the images that I wanted, I also created many panoramic format images capturing all the foreground mountains.
After a couple of hours of being entwined in photography heaven, I decided to pack up and head back to the car park, from where I retuned to the hotel for a late breakfast.
Dun Dubh,Druim an Ruma and Cleat along the Trotternish Ridge
After a relaxing morning in the hotel, we decided to head for somewhere new during the afternoon, this was Coral Beach, which is near to Dunvegan Castle, our plans included a visit to the Dunvegan Castle, but the internet was showing the Castle as being closed.
We soon arrived at Dunvegan Castle, and as advised by Mr Google, it was closed. So, we continued along the single-track road to the car park for the Coral Beach.
We underestimated the length of the walk form the car park to the beach, although this isn’t too far, Carole has mobility issues, which made the walk uncomfortable and hard work for her.
As we rose above the small ridge line the beach came into view, gleaming white sand in a small crescent shape, although we soon realised that the beach is not sand, but shells, these have been ground down to very small size which creates the beach.
As we walked along the beach, a lady headed to the waters edge to do some wild swimming, her turquoise-coloured coat contrasting against the bright white beach, a image I just had to capture.
The tide was coming in, at a rare rate of knots, you could visibly see the water rising along the water’s edge.
We took our time to soak in the views and the location before setting off on the return 1.25 mile walk to the car.
The afternoon was enjoyable, but the length of the walk would come to cause a lot of pain and restricted movement for Carole.
Coral Beach
Day 4
The day began sunny, and dry, but a bitterly cold wind blowing, as Carole was struggling with her mobility, we decided to go somewhere close to a car park so that she could get out and walk around quite easily. We decided the Sligachan would be the best place, so for the second time in two days, off we set.
Upon arriving at Sligachan, how the conditions had changed for our earlier visit. The ice had almost all melted, sun was shining on the bridge and surrounding areas.
Once I was satisfied that Carole was OK with her walking, I set off to find some compositions around the old Sligachan bridge, river and the Collie and Mackenzie memorial.
After a couple of hours, we reconvened at the car to call it a day at Sligachan and head back to the hotel.
The Old Sligachan Bridge
The plans for the late afternoon were discussed, it was decided that Carole would remain in the hotel, and I would head for Neist Point to try and capture some late afternoon/sunset images.
Whilst travelling west towards Neist point, it was noticeable how quiet the roads were, I hardly passed another vehicle on the road. Upon arrival at Neist point, I was able to drive right to the end of the empty car park, this saved my weary legs.
I wanted to walk to the lighthouse as I have never been there, so off I sent, not sure how difficult the walk would be.
Once at the lighthouse, I made my way down to the cliff edge to capture some shots of the lighthouse, perched on top of the cliff, looking out towards the North Atlantic.
I was busy concentrating on my photography, when I happened to look up and was quite surprised how low the sun was, conscious that I wanted to try and get a sunset image of Neist point, I packed up and began a swift return to the cliffs on the mainland, hoping to see some side light illuminating the headland by the setting sun.
Once at the bottom of the cliffs, a mad scramble along the escarpment to get a viewpoint of the large northern facing cliff face of Neist Point.
I grabbed what would turn out to be the best image of this location within the first 5 minutes, as the setting sun disappeared below the bank of clouds on the western horizon, neve to show its self again.
Neist Point
Day 5
This was a quiet day photography wise, the only images that I took were of a small waterfall which is located near the Portree Hotel. I practiced with differing shutter speeds to final get one that I was happy with.
Portree Waterfall
Day 6
This was the start of our return home journey, again broken up with a stop in Fort William, at the dreaded hotel which we used on the trip up, this had been pre-booked, so we had little chance other than use it.
We eat before we went to the hotel and left early the next morning with the plan of getting a cooked breakfast at the Green Welly Shop.
How the best plans fail, upon arriving at the Green Welly Shop, the restaurant was closed until11am, several hours after our arrival time, so a couple of sandwiches were purchased along with a tea and coffee, and off we set again.
Four hours later we arrive home after a very enjoyable visit to the Isle of Skye in which we had encountered extraordinarily un-seasonable weather, four days of sunshine, albeit battered with high strength, bitterly cold winds.
I had captured several images which I was very pleased with, at least 4 will be going into my portfolio section of my web site.
It took me several weeks to trawl through the editing process of my Skye images, then family matters intervened, and another trip to ASSYNY in Scotland meant that these images remained on my computer for some weeks without being included into this blog.
Until the next adventure, stay safe and I will update you on the next one.
I have an image in my head which I would love to capture at Tewet Tarn, to achieve this I need some early morning light, and a clear view of Lonscale Fell and Blencathra.
First Visit
I first visited Tewet tarn on the 23rd December, when the forecast was promising, and on arriving at the location, there were signs that there would be some good sunrise light on show, and for a short, very short period of time it looked like it was going to kick off, sadly the lovely red coloured sky only lasted a very short period of time, and did not reach the direction in which I was looking.
I was hoping for this light to arrive on the sceneAll I got was flat light with a hint of colour in the sky
I was a little disappointed as I packed up and began making plans for the next weather window.
Second Visit
My next visit to this location was on the 3rd January, again the forecast was looking good, but despite arriving well before sunrise, the conditions did not materialize, no light on show at all, just boring flat light.
I took a couple of photos to record the occasion, but these were not portfolio standard. Still, I was out, and about which is my aim for 2025.
More flat light, this being a long exposure
Third Visit
My third visit to Tewet Tarn was a week later on the 11th January, when the snow gods had delivered a rare dousing of snow in the lake district, along with a block of very cold and frosty nights which had helped the snow to lay and last for a few days.
The forecast was looking good, so I arrived at the tarn well before sunrise to ensure I was I set up and in position for any sunrise light that made an appearance.
Off I trudged up the fell through the snow and ice, wrapped up against the biting cold.
I was a little surprised that there were no other photographers present, but this allowed me free range for my photos.
Looking east the sky was beginning to light up with crimson colours, and here was me trying my best to dig my boots into the slope of the fell to stop me sliding off down the slope.
The colours in the sky were now above my head, all I wanted was for them to reach the distant fells of Lonscale and Blencathra, when my wishes would be answered, please, please, as close as the coloured sky was, it wasn’t just far enough, I was taking photos, but I knew in my heart that they were not what I was looking for.
After waiting for 30 minutes or so for the red sky to travel over the valley, I admitted defeat, again I had been beaten by mother nature, so again, I was packing up with a unfulfilled morning.
The best of the mornings light
As a trudged down the fell towards the Tarn, the sun suddenly broke through the cloud cover casting lovely light onto the snow covered fells of Blencathra and Lonscale Fell, so I stopped, got shot of the bag on my back and frantically raided the bag to get my camera.
The sun really brought the scene to life, we now had contrast, shadows, highlights and depth to the scene.
I headed to the shore of the Tarn to find some ice as foreground interest with me looking towards the sun kissed Lonscale Fell.
Ice and Light
I then noticed a lovely fluffy cloud hanging over the summit of Skiddaw to the north, so I grabbed the shot, a close crop of the summit with this fluffy cloud hanging over it. Only when I processed the image on my computer did I see the people making their way up the fell towards the summit, can you see them?
Skiddaw summit, can you find the people climbing up the mountain?
From this shot I panned round to the west where the sun had risen sufficiently to create some lovey highlights and shadows on the Cumbrian Fells, Grasmoor and Grisdale Pike being the prominent fells in this scene.
The Cumbrian Mountains
For a change, on my third visit to the tarn I was walking down the fell content, and pleased with the photos that I had taken. The snow had defiantly added another dimension to the views, and even the rising sun had made a slight impact on some of my photos.
To cap the morning off, I was sitting in the car enjoying a warm cup of coffee and a sandwich when I heard a tap, tap on the window, I looked round to see a female chaffinch pecking at the rear window of the car, I managed to grab a phone shot of the bird, but as I went for some food scraps of food it flew away. Quite a cure interaction this was.
