blog – Knightshoots Landscape Photography

Isle of Skye, Highlands, Scotland

This will be my first review of a location. I aim to tell you more in depth stories of each individual adventure in separate posts, but for here, this will be my thoughts on the actual location as an overall whole. If you want to read the individual stories, and see the photos from there, check out the blogs, starting from the first one at Neist Point and Blackhill waterfall.

Well, lets kick off with my most memorable first properly organised and planned trip. The Isle of Skye in Scotland. Without a doubt, one of the most photographic, and photographed, locations in the UK that I have visited so far. It’s highly unlikely anyone could get an original shot any more, but it’s one of those places that every photographer will have (or should have!) on his or her list… simply to see some of these locations with their own eyes. And rightly so, because the whole island really is stunning.

For myself, I first had the opportunity to visit Scotland when my daughter needed to move out of her halls at the end of her first year in Uni. My choice was to tour a handful of key sights all over Scotland, or to stay local to a smaller area. I opted for the smaller area so I could hopefully get a more in depth view of a place, with the possible options of returning to a site a second or more times. I plumped for Skye because of the sheer number and variety of sights I could add to my ‘to do’ list within a small area. I hoped it would keep my busy! Decision made, I visited Skye, between 19th -24 June 2019, and drove everywhere in my camper van. Because of this, I cant comment on any places to stay, but can speak of my experiences of Skye from a tourer’s perspective.

If you come in a car, I hear Portree has some very comfortable places to stay, and some cracking restaurants. I tended to cook in the camper so haven’t experienced any of them, apart from ‘The Chippy’ in Portree Harbour, who served up a delicious fish and chip supper one night. If you are in a car and Tent, I did stay at a site in Sligachan. It wasn’t huge, but it was comfortable enough. There was electric hook up available, and a clean, and comfortable shower/toilet block, but very little else. The chap taking payments, was very friendly and informative, and I was pleased to see the showers were included in the pitch price, so I would give this site a thumbs up for my needs, but those seeking a full on campsite with a shop/clubhouse/children’s play area et all, will have to look elsewhere I am afraid… and I cant actually say I saw another site… although since I wasn’t actually looking for one, it has to be said that I would be surprised if there wasnt one somewhere!! There is nothing else at Sligachan but a hotel/pub/restaurant, which unfortunately for me, was hosting a wedding on the night I stayed, so the restaurant was closed… I therefore can’t comment on the quality of that either!

Fred Parked up… somewhere gorgeous ready for the morning adventure

For the bulk of my stay, I had to stop in rather remote spots, purely because of the need to save money, and to facilitate getting to locations for really late night, and early morning photographs (meaning that getting to bed and up at… oh no… wait… NOT getting to bed for anything much more than an hour, because SOMEONE forgot to check what time the sun sets and rises in Scotland during the solstice week (Duh!!)) Thankfully these spots were fairly plentiful, tucked away, and non obtrusive. When not out with my camera, I kept myself to my van, and left nothing behind at any location of course. I would urge anyone considering doing this, to do the same. As soon as people begin leaving litter, or soil of any kind, there will be a stop to this, and therefore any freedom to roam that we may currently enjoy. For us photographers, the biggest enjoyment, and some of the best photography, will naturally involve getting to remote locations very late in the day, or as early and as easily as possible, so PLEASE remain respectful, so that this may continue.

I found Skye to be largely unspoiled. I don’t know how much longer it will stay that way, as even at this point, it was impossible to not notice just HOW MANY tourists were flocking to the area. I don’t think I have ever seen so many people visiting such a tiny area at one time, and this wasn’t peak season! This did impact photo opportunities at some points, but you have to take the rough with the smooth, and after all… I guess I was just another one wasn’t I? The saddest bit for me, was, that over my week, I think I heard a Scottish accent on no more than a handful of occasions. There were numerous tour buses every day, at every location I visited, dropping at least 30 -50 people off at a location, who tramped everywhere (some without any consideration for the environment, I was sad to notice) for half hour or so, and then moved on to the next spot, just as another bus pulled up. I hope this will be controlled soon, as I can see another 10 years passing, and the gorgeous locations that are the core starting places for photographers to visit, being little more than wide expanses of trodden brown footpath.

The most noticeable place where this is seen is at Old Man Stor. I came here briefly with the children in 2012, and we walked through a lovely forest footpath to the base of the Stor, where we then found a few thin, single file foot path trails up to the Stor itself. This year, I was really sad to see all the trees had be cut down and were being replaced by ‘native trees’, which I get, as the trees that were there, were not apparently natural ones for this area. But it looked baron, and my heart bled in the silence. It felt almost morgue like, for the lack of birds, and wildlife which had now gone, having lost so much of their protective cover. I know the plan is good, don’t get me wrong, but I am unlikely to see it looking as beautiful in my lifetime again, as trees take years to grow, and I wished more than anything that for the sake of the wildlife, they had done it in stages, so the animals could have stayed. Anyhow, that’s just a minor, personal gripe… I diverge… the tourist effect… The little narrow path up to the Stor had mostly gone, in favour of a huge brown worn path to the right, that led up to the photographers viewpoint. I can see where it started, but the numbers of people have clearly widened it immensely, to the point that as you get higher up, the route becomes completely unclear, as it’s all just a big brown trodden area. Where the path becomes less secure as it wears down further, and wet weather makes the muddy path slippery, people will naturally widen their route onto yet more of the grassy area, and the problem just gets worse. On the route lower down, the footpath that has been laid is already being ignored, with people cutting through, walking on the edges etc. This will only get worse I imagine as the numbers grow. My biggest fear for Skye, is that this will happen in other places too.

On the other side of the coin however, I was pleased to see that some locations are beginning to control crowds. Lealt falls is a good example here, with a purpose build viewing platform overlooking the falls, keeping people safer from the edge, preserving the landscape, but affording good views of the falls. Toilets are being planned for The Fairy Pools car parking area, and up at the Quiraing, it looks like a better car park might be being created too, just at the top and out of the main walking route and view that attracts everyone. I am reading online that there has been further funding (granted as of June 2019) for visitor access for Old Man of Stor and some for parking at Portree, including Motorhome day Parking (YAY!! – I couldn’t park anywhere so ended up pretty much avoiding the place entirely). (See Jan 2020 update below about these!) Its also really nice to see that (so far) Skye has staved off the usual trappings that come with hordes of tourists…big ugly hotels, fast food chains, shopping /tourist malls etc. This helps Skye maintain its charm, so I really hope that it can keep them away, or find a small, tucked away area, where they might hide it all, should it become an absolutely necessity. It should be noted however, that the lack of a number of familiar shopping facilities will mean that should you loose your lens cap?, or smash your very expensive filter on your third day?, you can forget finding replacements for the remainder of your trip…because even Amazon wont deliver here in anything less than 3 days, and the nearest city is several hours drive away!! (Hmmnn… unless someone opens a dedicated camera shop on the island….???)

On the whole, I found Skye to be an awesome place to travel around. The roads were fairly clear at this time of year for me, and even during (the few) busy periods, I found frequent passing places everywhere (with the very clear signs visible from a distance). These were an absolute boon that allowed for easy flow of traffic in the many areas that only allow for single lane roads. And by many, I mean nearly all. Well done to the road designers who thought that one through…there are many other places in the UK that could take a lesson on how you achieved that! My camper is Transit van sized, and it managed really easily… but as the season picked up I wouldn’t like to comment on how it all might work with the growing numbers of tourists, and the ever increasing sizes of motorhomes, that no doubt headed that way.

Weather wise, my week was essentially cloudy. It didn’t rain every day, but did most of them, and several days had a full spectrum of weather, bit of blue, plenty of cloud, a sprinkling of rain (and the occasional torrential downpour), so this actually makes Skye perfect for interesting shots rather than just the traditional postcard type ones. I am told this is normal for here, and that even a few miles can bring entirely different weather at times! I had several moody shots of mountains, and I know that there are often, still, calm days that afford beautiful reflection shots in Skye’s many Lochs. I wasn’t especially lucky this time, as it was fairly breezy every day, but these shots are visible everywhere online, so they aren’t lying. With this variable weather pattern, you will need to bring wet weather clothing, sturdy waterproof footwear, and some rain protection for your gear for the bad days. I had an old rain mac from a visit to Niagara many years ago… it did the trick, but I have since invested in other alternatives for my camera.

As for locations, every landscape photographer is completely spoiled for choice. Mountains, rolling hills, coast, rivers, waterfalls, towns, villages, abandoned cottages, historic houses, castles, harbours, bridges, lakes, ponds, wild and birdlife… well just about everything I can think of, is here, within this tiny speck of land… all within an hour or two’s drive, a gentle stroll or a good hearty hike. Nearly everything is free to enter (for now at least!) with exception to the private houses/castles (one I looked at was Dunvegan Castle, which I ended up not doing on this occasion), and all I visited were pretty near the road side or car park, either the actual view, or the start to the official hiking path. You really are are totally spoiled for choice, making it a pretty impressive place to start landscape photography, especially if you aren’t totally sure what your favourite type of shot might actually be. Here, just about every theme could be tried, and with quite a few experienced photographers around, you wouldn’t be alone long if you needed a bit of advice either. Oh, by the way… this last point shouldn’t lead you to think that ‘that shot’ is already over done because of the numbers of photographers here… ‘that shot’ changes every hour with the weather here… and YOUR shot, will be entirely different. It will have the light that was exclusive to the moment that YOU press your shutter, and it will have your memories, and your adventure in getting to that spot embedded within it. My advice would be to try not to plan a weather dependant shoot too much, but to remain open to whatever the conditions throw at you, and be fluid and adaptable around it. You will be less disappointed or frustrated if it’s left as a ‘surprise’ on the day, and it will help stop you restricting yourself on the amazing shots that ARE available to you.

My opinion ultimately is that Skye was pretty perfect for me. It enabled me to really improve my photography, offering views I was pretty familiar with, whilst giving opportunities and challenges that both stretched my existing skills, and encouraged me out of my comfort zone to try something new. Sometimes the weather, or the crowds, sometimes my own inabilities… the challenges are plentiful, but not insurmountable. I was able to be entirely alone in the moment, and yet I was able to mix and chat with individuals or groups of people around me. I am fairly confident that this stunning place would do much the same for any photographer, be they a day tripper just taking snaps. amateur photographers hoping to get themselves off the auto setting, or highly skilled pros looking to build their portfolios.

My score?

***** Highly Recommended!

Update: Jan 2020… the car park at the Quiraing is indeed in place, and a really good one too, if you are in a car. Its very unclear where my camper should park however… I assume its to park up in the bus spots, which I feel very loathed to do. I can’t get into the car park itself due to the height barrier… and the sign is hilariously confusing….

Note that permitted vehicles include Motorhomes, but clause (m) says that vehicles made to sleep in are not… I’d love to see a motorhome that wasn’t designed to sleep in!!! Either way, it left me unable to park in there, and very confused where I WAS supposed to park.

At the Stor there is definitely work going on, a large area too, I am assuming a visitor centre will be made there – either that or its a VERY big car park… hopefully the signage will be clearer when they finish!! Portree was unchanged so I await a better camper experience there.

My Adventures

Eilean Donan Castle

Skye 2019: Part Twelve

24/25 June 2019

As I left Skye, I felt a weight lift. I am not at all sure why that happened, perhaps I was loosing the pressures I had been putting on myself or maybe it was just that I would be heading home. It was half past 7 in the evening when I left Portree, and after an hour and a half of driving, I passed by Eilean Donan castle.

The first time I had seen this castle in person was on my way up to Skye. I had only stopped off then for just under an hour, to see what this place was about, and it had totally captured my imagination. I can see why so many people photograph it. It’s set in an absolutely perfect photographic setting, jutting out into the loch, with a fantastic backdrop of the hills behind. The first flyby visit, saw the tide fully out, and masses of tourists… but as I headed towards it tonight, I could see that the tide was in, the sun was setting, that the castle lights were alight and it would likely be tourist free. I had to stop to investigate! I took a quick walk around, and realised that although I had just missed sunset, the shot that I wanted most was going to be a blue hour one (the name given to the period of time after the golden colour of a sunset had gone but before pitch black of night sets in. This happens just before dawn too). I had seen a number of these shots and really wanted to try one for myself. Another photographer pulled up, and also walked around for a bit. The light was still a bit too bright for me at the moment, so I thought that now might be a good time to grab a quick bite to eat and make a cuppa. Food at last… my body was extremely grateful – and as I calmly waited, I felt the whole world come to rights again.

I watched the other photographer for a bit, he took a few shots, disappeared into the back of his van, then reappeared in what looked like a complete beekeepers kit. When I eventually got to speak to him, I questioned the outfit. He explained it was to keep the midges at bay, as they normally cover him with bites and he suffered a lot with them… damned good idea that one, I thought, as I started scratching at my newest bites for this evening. I didn’t seem quite so plagued by them however, as I had been that morning, so maybe as the sun sets, they also drift off… anyway, as the sky darkened, I eventually got my kit out and walked over to my chosen position with River at my heels, firing off shots that I loved. This reflection was awesome, and the blue light just made it all the more magical. It was an easy shot to capture for once.

I think my only disappointment was that one of the lights seemed to be out of order, putting one of the buildings into darkness. It didn’t spoil my time though, and after my fill here, I wandered around to the other side, and took a few shots from there. Unfortunately, although this would have been nice too, there were a small group of teenagers there dancing around in front of the beams of light. This cast great big people shaped shadows across the building, which although, quite fun, wasn’t really a shot I was after! As I finished my wander around the second side, I went back to the car park side, and joined the other photographer again. He was out of his midge prevention kit by now, and looking a little more like a regular photographer, perhaps the net facemask had been getting in his way. He told me he wanted to try something different, that this location would be perfect, and on seeing that my curiosity had been peaked, asked if I could I watch his camera while he picked up a few bits from his van. I did so, highly intrigued by what he was hoping to do. When he came back, I knew immediately what he was hoping to do.

Fire spinning!!!

Now I have experienced this once, as part of a big group some time ago, so I recognised his equipment… a balloon whisk, steel wool and a rope. Oh yeah, all highly technical equipment in this game you know! I was most fascinated with his set up in doing this alone. He sorted out where he hoped to focus, set his camera on a timer, and did one test run. He used a lighter to set fire to the steel wool (which he had stuffed into the balloon part of the whisk), jumped into position, then started spinning it in a big circle. Where his camera was set on timer it meant he was in full spin when the shutter fired. Once lit, the steel wool burns in seconds. By spinning the whisk that you’ve tied to a rope (or dog lead), tiny hot embers flick out, giving us these awesome photos… but the time you have is very short, so working on your own is very difficult! How he managed this all on his own, was quite interesting, and it actually amazed me! I always assumed this needed to be a two person job but he proved me wrong here. I bet this wasn’t easy the first few times he tried! He repeated this twice more, and seemed happy with the shots, then as he loaded the last bit of wool into the whisk, he asked if I wanted to take a photo of my own. I had been so mesmerised, I hadn’t thought to ask! I said a grateful ‘OH! Yes please, thank you!’ and then realised I had no idea what I needed to set the camera to. With very little time to work it out and only one shot, I hastily set my camera up next to his, fumbled my way through the settings in the dark, guessing mostly, and pressed the shutter. I feel my shot should have ended up a longer exposure than I did, (15 seconds) and maybe it would have had more drama at the top of the circle, perhaps a 20-25 second exposure…and maybe a lower ISO at that speed to help keep the background dark enough to highlight the embers. (I took this with an ISO 0f 500) but all in all, for a sudden rushed shot, I cant say I was unhappy in the slightest! Perhaps I WAS learning after all!

Once the last of the wire wool had gone, he packed up, said his goodbyes and went on his way. I had the place entirely to myself by now, so I took a few more photos from the car park, wondering whether the castle lights stayed on all night. As I wandered up and down, I decided to see what a low to the water shot might look like, so carefully stepped down the rocks to the waters edge… A few seconds later I heard a massive ‘SPLASH!’ to my left, and realised that River had decided that now would be a good time for a midnight swim. In any other lake, ocean or river this might have been OK, funny even – but this place was just FILLED with seaweed. Apart from feeling concerned that she might get snagged by weeds in the now, nearly pitch black, this place smelled anything but fragrant…!! I called her back out and as I did so, saw the lights at the castle wink out. Oh, OK, I assume the lights go off at 11 then! I looked down at the stinky dog that I assumed was next to me (judging by the smell) and packed everything down. I made my way back to the camper, and moved to a spot for the night. As I settled down into bed, I considered going back briefly in the morning before leaving for home. I was hoping a high tide may give a pretty daytime reflection. As I turned off the lights, River decided that I might need some extra company, and tried to jump on the bed. Wet and stinky, she had an almighty shove in the opposite direction… NO WAY was she getting in MY bed tonight!!! Sorry little girl…

I got back to the car park very early next morning, feeling fully refreshed (even with just 6 hours sleep) and was disappointed to realise that the tide had gone completely out. We were back to a castle surrounded by a bed of seaweed and mud. (I really should check these things out !!) Nonetheless, I took the opportunity of an unpopulated scene, and took photos from every angle. Where the tide was right out, I was able to get down under the bridge and on both sides, even crossing where the water would have been, onto a small bit of raised land. Whilst taking this shot, the sun beamed through the overcast morning clouds that hung behind me for a brief moment, to shine directly onto the castle with a soft diffused glow. I was grateful for that, as the castle had looked a little dull in front of the blue sky behind it. I finally felt that things were working in my favour again, and that maybe this photographic lark was a good thing for me to be doing after all…

The great joy of photographing Eilean Donan was that there are still other opportunities I could try at another time – A daytime with a high tide, views from two other spots that I have since discovered, a proper moody, misty shot perhaps. I ended leaving on a high, and although very tired as the day drew on, I didn’t have a repeat of the mood overload I had suffered the day before.

I felt this trip had, after all that, been quite a success.

My Adventures

Loch Slapin, Elgol and Portree

Skye 2019: Part Eleven

24 June 2019

As I drove, I finally found myself at Loch Slapin. Now here was a place worth stopping for, not least because I needed to stretch my legs. (well OK… that’s just polite speak for this old lady bladder needed emptying, alright…?!) As I rounded the bend and came down the hill, I saw a lovely big area where I could park safely off the main, single lane road. As I looked around me, I immediately noticed a white house across the Loch, standing alone with a gorgeous backdrop of trees and mountains. It was a lovely sight, and totally worthy of a photo for sure. This would only serve me as a memory note however, because the light really needed to be much nicer for this to be anywhere near a stunning shot. But for me, I certainly felt it had the potential to be just that at some point. I took my photo and then went on my way again. According to my satnav, I wasn’t going to get to Elgol until gone 4, so I didn’t want to waste much time here now I had noted it for future use.

As the hills climbed and dropped, I found myself squeezing past buses and other vans, but very few cars which surprised me because I thought this would be a really popular place for visitors. Maybe it was a little late in the day for them? It felt like a long trip down that road, and after Slapin, nothing particularly drew my attention. To be fair, I wasn’t really looking… I arrived in Elgol and initially parked up just before really steep hill down to the bay. The sky looked pretty grim – not characterful grim, but certainly not pretty, and no way was there going to be any chance of a nice sunset. I felt tired, totally uninspired and his hill looked steep with the prospect of walking up it with all my kit on my back being the furthest from encouraging! My mood continued its route downwards and I just sat in the drivers seat considering my choices. I could a) stay and see what I could do here b) go back toward where I had been or c) park closer…

I decided to see if I could park closer first, then consider. I had to drive down the hill as gently as I could, as this was, I think, the steepest one I had done in Fred (the camper) to date, and it worried me. I struck lucky and found that there was one small area that I might be able to squeeze into in the bay car park. From here you could easily see the rocky beach, and I decided that, as I had actually made the effort to drive all this way, I may as well stay and see what I might get. My seascape photography was still poor, as I hadn’t really tried it much on this trip, so here was another opportunity. I was here. Why waste the chance? It took a lot of persuading to get me out of the seat, but I did eventually get out.

An hour later, I left even grumpier than I had arrived and in a very similar mood to the one this morning. The same problems had returned in major style, and I didn’t feel anything was working. Sorely disappointed that I had yet another view in front of me without clear mountains, or that fitted in with the shot I hoped for, I found it hard to see the scene. to see a composition I liked, to work the settings to my satisfaction or to enjoy anything about where I was. I basically felt like I was forcing everything, and struggled with it all.

In hindsight, all I needed to do was ease up on myself. All this pressure to get something was hampering my enjoyment, and I struggled to see the wood for the trees. I didn’t like anything in my viewfinder, and although tried, felt like I was a useless, and terrible photographer, and I wondered what I thought I was even trying to do. I forgot one of the golden rules. Slow down, take a breath, and just chill. This should never have been about ‘getting a shot’, but in checking this location out! It was about seeing what was here and taking it all in for what it was. I had totally forgotten. Being a subject I didn’t consider as a strong one for me, probably didn’t help, although on reflection, all things considered, and without my hopes for the day in my head any more, I really needn’t have been quite so uptight with myself…

I feel now, that I had totally overdone everything and I had just ended up developing a steely determination to just get there and take the photo. This attitude stank as far as I am concerned. That’s definitely NOT what I wanted this to be about. I feel that perhaps it was all part of the big bag of tiredness, lack of food (when had I last had a proper meal??) and over saturation from the days where I had been packing multiple locations in. This was a very bad habit I was to find myself repeating over and over whenever I went away. When will I ever learn?? There’s no rush, these places will still be here next time I come here… and I had every intention of coming back. I forget that rest, food and the enjoyment all add to the end product. I have still SO much to learn…

I got back into Fred, and headed back towards Portree, where I hoped to get a photo of the harbour houses, and find somewhere to stop for the night. As I drove my negative frame of mind hammered at the nail, nearly sealing the fate of my Skye visit. I got to Portree, and (as I had experienced every visit to this small town) struggled to find anywhere to park. I ended up parked in one bay (residents only- oops) and wondered if I could even get find where the shot I had been seeing online had been taken. I walked up and down, and back up again, but to no avail. The only shot I eventually got was looking down from the roadside and when I looked, was absolutely no better than the tourist shot I had caught way back in 2012. This just crippled me, and I snapped.

I got into the camper and left Skye.

This was all just too much.

My Adventures

Loch Fada and Bheinn Shuardail

Skye 2019: Part Ten

24 June 2019

After such a long day, I ended up just staying parked up at the foot of the Old Man. It was gone 11pm, dark, and I hadn’t plotted an overnight spot to stay, where I had made a spur of the moment decision. This meant I needed an early start to vacate. So at half 5 despite my tiredness, I roused myself, made a quick breakfast and left so that I wasn’t imposing on anyone. Today I was aiming to go to Elgol. but before I left this area I really, REALLY wanted to try and get a dream shot at Lock Fada… literally just down the road. This may be my last chance, I mused, as so far the weather hadn’t been especially helpful in getting my shot from any loch and I wasn’t sure how many more days I might be able to stay on this break. The sky had a light high cloud, but I hoped for, dreamed of, a sunrise shot, with smooth water, stunning reflections maybe a perfectly placed rock or two… Oh yeah… the works please.

Today, however, was NOT going to be that day.

I arrived at the spot, and was a little disappointed to realise that there wasn’t going to be any colour because the high cloud was building fairly quickly and basically just whited out the sky. A second disappointment was that the wind was dancing about all over the surface of the water, so my glass like reflections were not going to happen either. The third issue disrupting my plans? Summer + water+ Scotland = Midges (I keep forgetting this!)… oh, and a fourth. tiredness. This all mixed together to form a highly entertaining view of a grumpy, plump, older lady cussing the camera, the wind, the light, the boats, slapping herself every two seconds, feeling frustrated, totally inept, chronically unable to think this thing through and eventually, just stomping off with the biggest frown on her face imaginable, leaving a few colourful words floating around on the air behind. Oh today was gonna be a corker… I could just feel it!!!

Basically my issue was simple, there was quite a strong breeze blowing across the water. This caused a few problems… mostly that I was completely unable to get the glass like reflection of the boats on smooth water. I tried a long exposure shot to cheat the water movement a little. This might have worked if the boats weren’t blowing around and moving in every shot, spoiling the image. Then there was the constant tickling, distracting the addled brain still further. All I needed now really, was a full bladder to distract me completely and utterly… oh… wait… From start to finish, I barely spent half an hour here and then left. I was totally annoyed at my inept skills, questioning everything from my abilities (or lack of) to my whole life, and especially my inability to solve a simple problem or find a suitable alternative. It wasn’t even 6.30 am and I had the whole of the day ahead of me yet… Part of me wasn’t looking forward to this.

Blurry boats are a pain…and they spoil pictures.

I cut my losses and drove back down the isle and headed towards my final destination Elgol. I had with me my self made guide book, and another one, a Fotovue guide to photographing Scotland that I had flipped through. In this book was a place that I was going to drive past, and that I intended to stop at en-route. The picture was of an abandoned cottage in front of a mountain, and I hadn’t seen one of these yet, so I really hoped to find and photograph it. Nearby was an old church too, so a possible double opportunity excited me. A few hours later finding it was fairly easy, so I started with the church, literally on the roadside with a car park right next to it.

As I walked around the site, I found it was standing in a awkward spot, on a bit of a hill that didn’t allow for the mountain behind to fit in the frame – nor anything in fact. The book had the church with the Milky way behind, but there was obviously no hope of that right now…and the cloud was still building, so avoiding just getting white sky was totally impossible. It just looked drab. I didn’t even get my mobile out. Disappointed yet again, and even more frustrated, I decided to try and find the abandoned cottage instead. The description I had noted on getting to the location was mildly hard to find, and as I have absolutely no sense of distance, I ended up feeling like I was just walking around lost on the Scottish Moors for ages… My distress just kept growing.

Then I spotted it, and the sight just lifted every ounce of tiredness and bad mood away. The cottage looked amazing.

With nature on its way to reclaiming it, it had small trees or shrubs growing up the walls inside, and grass all in the interior floor. I could see where an upper floor might have been, although I could only see windows facing the front upstairs. I saw two tall fire places, so tall that they obviously heated the top floor too, one each end of the cottage – clearly this can be a cold place at times! I noted a wall at the front just laying, near complete, across the whole floor. Had some strong winds just caught it at the right spot and pulled it down in one go? I tried to imagine a family maybe living here, the crumbled walls all around outside, maybe a smallholding for animals? I would have loved to have read something about the story of this place, but it was just in the middle of nowhere, completely on its own, its silent history blowing away with every hour that passed. Maybe I should have read the page before this one, in the Fotovue book… it did actually give a suggestion of what this house might be linked to. Later, on my return home, I discovered that this was, in fact, part of a marble quarry works for a very short period at the start of the 1900’s so maybe this was a workers cottage for them to have a break, or to meet and start the day. Did someone live here full time to keep a watch on the place for thieves I wondered? I would love to get back, and find the rest of the quarry, apparently still evident, with a small rail line used to transport the, then, highly popular, stone away. Lost in the magic of the place now however, I tried to photograph it in a way that would highlight its isolation, the thing that struck me the most. A little mist would have helped the view I feel… but on the moorland it still looked pretty bleak. Once the pictures were taken, I turned and my heart stopped.

Oh ****!

Without me even realising, the mountain behind me had been slowly gathering a hugely impressive cloud, and as I watched, frozen on the spot, the cloud darkened, with huge great fingers clawing their way around the top of Beinn na Caillich. I didn’t quite know what to do, hold my spot, or, literally, RUN! This was surely going to bring some extremely unpleasant weather my way… possibly lightening… and out here, with no cover, standing here would most definitely NOT be the safest of places to be. Realising the length of time the walk (run!) back would be, I decided to hold my spot, and to photograph this instead. This was what I was out here for after all… using whatever the weather threw at me, right?! Part of me even secretly hoped that there would be a little lightening… (but only over there please…!)

The pictures looked amazing in the viewfinder, and after a short while it did indeed roll right over me, and downpour in the best possible fashion. It was a quick downpour, no thunder or lightening though, and the remainder of the black cloud just ended up fizzling out, and filling the whole area with a light misty drizzly rain the lower down the mountain it came. River and I made our way back to the camper. I felt a little invigorated by this experience, and looked forward to seeing what Elgol might offer. I was still physically exhausted however, so as the drive progressed, I felt its grip slowly clawing at my resolve to keep positive. I drove on past several really beautiful views, but with my main aim solidly set in my mind, and the clock ticking away now, I stubbornly refused to stop at any. I have no idea why I did that. to this day it confuses me. My single visioned determination to get there, had blinded me to all the possibilities that were flying past my windows, and in hindsight, that was a decision I sorely regretted

My Adventures

Lealt Falls and Old Man of Stor

Skye 2019: Part Nine

23 June 2019

After the glorious sunny day at the Quiraing, it occurred to me that we may have an equally glorious sunset to match the one the previous evening. Added to the fact that there were still at least 4 hours to sunset, I decided on the spur of the moment, to try and get a shot from the Stor, and squeeze two big spots on my list into one day. Again, my lack of planning, and in fact, lack of understanding of the locations, really proved to be my biggest challenge. This visit to Skye was a good learning curve in a lot of respects. It seems to me that there are possibly two ways to do Landscape photography- In my situation, as the complete noob that I am, I was plumping for one of those ways…turn up and see what you get, react to the conditions, and be surprised. Possibly very pleasantly so. I suspect this is every beginners route, and its not a bad one to learn to react and just deal with the things being thrown at you. The other side of the coin is to plan a trip around all the details, you hope for. This can also work extremely well of course, although the weather, and other conditions, can always throw a curveball, and you may go to great expense in cost or time, to come away completely disappointed. Ideally you kinda want to utilise a little of both for the best chances, but I suspect that’s a skill for further down the line as I learn both aspects. In this instance, I had two different issues I hadn’t planned in…first one?..err…the sun doesn’t set this side of the island (kind of important really if you want a sunset shot!!) and two..a glorious day, doesn’t mean a glorious evening… BUT, neither necessarily means that its a completely wasted journey, because this isn’t just about the shot…its about the JOURNEY. Its the journey that gives a photo the meaning it has for you, the photographer, and hopefully in time, you learn to translate this to the viewer if you do your job well.

shot of the viewing platform overlooking the Lealt River

So I left the Quiraing with quite a bit of time on my hands, and headed over towards the Stor. On the way I made a quick pit stop at a location that caught my eye from the road. Lealt Falls. I spotted it because of the car park, literally on the roadside, and decided to have a look. I didn’t take my camera, as this was only going to be a very quick visit, and I left River resting in her bed. As soon as I entered the site I saw that there had been a specially made viewing platform. The first specially made tourist control thing I had seen here during my visit, other than the barriers at Mealt falls. It offered a nice view over the waterfall to our right, and certainly helped keep people away from the edge that pretty much led to a steep drop from what I saw. I personally found the top most big, horizontal, wooden bar on this platform, to be at a bad height for my not so tall frame, so grabbed a photo with my phone as best as I could over the top. (I tried under it, but it was just awkward, and a naff view) I doubt very much if it would be worth trying to get a nicer shot from here, as the position and heights makes it pretty hard to do so. I would love to know if it IS possible to get to the bottom of the falls however, as surely a shot from below would look awesome. After a quick wander around the rest of the site, I made my way back to the camper, and drove on up to the Stor.

I arrived at the car park, and then had the joyful experience of trying to coax a stroppy toddler out for the next walk. Well that’s certainly how River acted. Firstly she wouldn’t get out of the camper, choosing to hide her face with just her backside hanging out of her dog bed, then after the first drag out, she ran back in, hid at the back of the bed giving me an ‘I don’t wanna’!! eye, peeking out from the side mesh. Once I managed to get her out for the second time (camper door immediately closed this time), she crawled along at such an impossibly slow snails pace, that I felt very much like I was literally dragging a dead dog behind me (pretty much akin to all the best comedy sketches)

I got the hint… she didn’t want to come.

I left her with a bowl of food, water, a puppy pad by the door in case of emergency, and started the hike on my own instead, letting her have her way.

I started my walk up the Stor when the time had gone 6pm, and after about half an hour in, became rather concerned that there may be a problem with my self made guide book’s advice on timing. ‘The hike is aproximately 45 minutes’ said the note I had copied from somewhere. Yeah. Right. OK. Really? It became evident very early on into the hike that this was quite possibly not the case in SandyPlod mode. By 45 minutes into the hike it became clearly evident that this was definitely NOT true in my case, and that I was running a risk of missing any sunset. On top of this, I was only roughly aware of where the famed photographers viewpoint actually was. I pushed on nonetheless, my mind wandering over a number of things to keep it off the aching legs and breathless proof of my unfit state.

I had been here once before about 7 years ago, and thought I had walked through a forest at the start that time. There was no forest here now, and I had passed decimated stumps that absolutely broke my heart. At this point I had no idea what had happened to the trees or why, but the site looked ugly, and sounded dead. No birds sang, no animals scurried around me, no leaves rustled in the breeze… The breeze. There’s a cold breeze…I suddenly stopped focussing on the dead route and my physical tiredness, and looked up. To my complete and utter sadness I suddenly noticed the sky… at least 1/2 of it was covered in cloud, and when I followed the direction they were coming in from, there was a lot more coming.

Gutted, I realised that I had actually made it over 3/4 of the way, so had to make a decision. I chose to continue. You never know I mused… there might be a lovely glow from under the clouds that will look fantastic… I day dreamed my way through the next bit of the route. Hope is a nice thing sometimes. Sometimes.

Towards the last part of my walk I met a lovely lady from Singapore. We chatted as we walked, and she was incredibly interesting. At one point I mentioned to her where I was aiming to walk to, showing her a photo on my phone of the view I hoped to see. She loved the look of the sight and hurried off to the rest of her family who were at the rocks of the Stor itself, telling me she would see me up there. This encouraged me to keep going despite my growing disappointment at the weather. There wasn’t too much further to go I told myself… not much further…

As I climbed my last steps onto the viewpoint, the remains of my daydream fluttering away with my exhausted sigh of relief at having made this trip finally, and my realisation that the cloud had indeed come in much more. I was alone at the point to start, and was joined a few minutes later by the lady and her family. After spending time chatting to them, and laughing at the antics of the 3 teenagers, they had their fill of selfies, photos and funny video antics, and started to make their way back down again. I was left alone to enjoy this sight all to myself. The view, despite the weather, was everything I was hoping for. It takes your breath away, and I just soaked it up for a while before getting my camera out and snapping my first photo.

Shortly after, I was joined by another photographer, and together we spent the next hour just casually chatting, taking the odd photograph, offering each other advice (not that I had much to give), swapping stories and kit info, and getting all hopeful or excited together about how the cloud was looking, or how the light was reflecting on the water of a loch, or even… might we get a sunset??? I think this was one of just a handful of times I had ever experienced this kind of interaction with a fellow photographer, and it was the most joyous experience. It was peaceful, quiet, innocent and completely without any pressure or expectation. Both of us were fairly new to landscape photography, having come with a little experience from other places, so we were pretty much learning and enjoying the scene in front of us together. Moments of silence were understood without explanation, and the time went both quickly, and yet slowly at the same time, if such a thing is at all possible.

My pictures were not what I hoped for, and the dreamed of sunset, definitely didn’t materialise. Interesting cloud formations did however, and thankfully, no rain. Off in the distance way behind us, we saw a pretty pink sky, and as it gradually faded, clearly not planning to show here, my companion for the last hour packed his things away, and bade me goodbye. I myself followed shortly after, but instead of going directly down. I decided to walk closer to the Stor itself, and see what the shot might be like from there. I quite liked the view, so took everything out again, and took a few more pictures, just for the hell of it.

The light really began to drop now. it was gone 9.30, and estimating at least an hour and a half to get back down, I decided I had better get my backside into gear, and get off this big hill before it got too much darker.

In the end, the highlight hadn’t been the photos at all… they were far from the ones I dreamed of… but this reminded me that the simple experience of connecting with strangers, of working alongside another photographer, were all part of the experience. They had made what might have been a hugely disappointing evening, one that felt so warm and satisfying, and I arrived back to the camper feeling far from disappointed with my evening.

Tonight was most definitely not about the photo, it was totally about The Journey.

Oh, and I wasn’t in the dog house with River either…I was greeted with a yawn, a stretch and a happy waggy tail. Phew!

My Adventures

The Quiraing

Skye 2019: Part Eight

23 June 2019

OK.. I wont lie. I pre judged the Quiraing. Based on photos I saw online, I was left with a rather ‘meh.. its pretty, but no different to anywhere else pretty’ I was far more interested in Skye for the other, interesting, dramatic hotspots it had to offer, and the Quiraing, actually didn’t even make the cut on places I wanted to visit. Yea, yea…I know! I can hear you all screaming at me….. (Lesson. Do not judge a place based on others photos or your own preconceptions.) Actually.. that’s not a bad lesson for life either. One shouldn’t judge anything or anyone at all…

The Quiraing ended up on my back up list… the ‘I suppose I should go, just to tick the ‘I’ve been there’ box…’ Oh how foolish I was eh?!

Needless to say, when I drove through this random unnamed road on 20th June having taken a wrong turning, I was quite taken aback by this unexpected, stunning landscape that came into view, so much so, I had to stop for a quick snap so I could revisit later on. As I stopped, I noticed lots of other people and cars. What IS this place? I asked myself…

Then I recognised it. ‘THIS is the Quiraing! Oh. My. God. I had misjudged this place COMPLETELY!!!!’ The Angels of Fate had clearly been tutting at my stupidity, and felt the need to intervene to highlight this stupidity to me personally… thus distracting me with old memories and disabling the sat nav deliberately, so that I would take a wrong turn.

Thus a new love affair began, and it immediately went to the top of my must see and explore list. (am I forgiven now?)

Despite the way I had perceived images on the online photos, the Quiraing is huge. The land around here is a massive landslide, that’s still slowly slipping down at a rate of about one cm a year, and this gives this area its beautiful appeal with beautiful slopes heading down to Staffin, and the torn, craggy rocks and stacks at the top. My understanding is this was also what formed the Old Man of Stor, although the land there has now settled, and isn’t slipping any more. (rock falls do still happen of course, but they are caused by different events) It makes sense now, that the two areas look very similar.

On the morning of the 23rd therefore, I parked up at the top, and began my exploratory hike across following a very easy footpath. River happily plodded on behind, and although the day started fairly cloudy and chilly, it actually opened up to a blisteringly hot one. I totally underestimated the walk, and went without much fluid and only a couple of basic snacks (trail mix essentially). On hearing water falling somewhere, I just resigned myself to letting River drink from those. As the hike progressed however, every area I thought was a fall, looked dry, so I have no idea where the water was falling from, or indeed where it was going to, and in the very rare puddle we did find, the poor pooch just laid in them to cool down. 3/4 of the way across, we found a small dribble of a waterfall, and the poor dog filled up her reserves by essentially licking rocks and waiting.

I took the camera out from time to time, although I wasn’t really trying to get ‘the shot’. The light was either very harsh, or very muted due to the haze, and it left the land looking pretty flat. Today was just about going on this walk, and seeing what was here. I wasn’t going to worry. I eventually planned on scouting to the end, and photographing anything of real interest on my way back. I had heard of a few specific areas that I hoped to reach, although I had no idea how far they were. These included a lone tree, and the different rock formations named The Needle, The Prison and The Table. I spotted the tree (nearly missed it actually) and mentally added it to my list to grab on the way back, as it wasn’t far from the start of the walk. It is a classic and popular shot, and as I stood looking at it, I could understand why. Its a pretty perfect composition!

We continued on, regularly pausing to look at the view. Hours later, as we approached the Prison, the path turned to scree, and proved a little slippery (and steep) to get up, so I took my time, and we got half way up before bumping into some other tourists coming the other way, just as we were catching our breath. Seeing River panting, One lady in their party offered to give her some bottled water, and River just lapped every drop up. I never felt so much like a bad mummy, but was SO eternally grateful for the offer. The lady was understanding, and I didn’t feel like she was judging me… You find the nicest and most thoughtful, generous people on the top of hills and mountains sometimes!! As they left we ploughed onwards, and made it up to the back of the prison formation. We were pretty exhausted by now, and the heat and Rivers lack of water was beginning to concern me. We still had to get back, but I hadn’t reached the Needle or Table yet…Oh the dilemma! As luck would have it, the hike was brought to an end by a stile across the path not long after the Prison. Under normal circumstances River might have been able to get over it, but someone had thought it a good idea to add a wire fence to the top, so that none but adult humans could step over. I think even children would struggle, and would have had to have been lifted. I wasn’t about to attempt to lift River over though! She’s a heavy girl!!!

So, after yet another pause, we turned and started to make our way back. We had taken about 4 hours so far, but the walk back didn’t seem to take that long, perhaps it was because I didn’t stop every 5 minutes to soak up the view (!!)

On the way back, I found myself walking with a greater purpose than the wandering I had done so far. I mostly forgot about the camera on my back, and was just desperately aiming for a cuppa back at the camper. River seemed better, and in all I think it was only another 1.5 hours to get back. The water from the hikers bottle, and the small dribble waterfall on the way seemed to revive her, and she was happy to keep this (slightly) faster pace. Lets face it..even at speed I am a plodder…so when I say ‘pace’ I don’t mean the one everyone else walks at! I wonder how long that walk I did, would take most folks… 2-4 hours in total????

At the end, I got my camera back out to snap the view there at least, then realised I had forgotten to photograph the tree. Was I going to go back for that????…Nahhhhh! The light wasn’t that good, and there was no hope for a nice sunset for quite a few hours yet, so in all honesty… was it worth it…? I didn’t need to persuade myself really. The next time I might get here, I would plan things better to (hopefully) get more out of my shots.

As River sat happily resting with me however, I did snap a picture of her on my phone, and it ended up being my favourite picture from today. Her face pretty much summed up how relaxed we were, and how enjoyable the hike had been despite the heat, and lack of water.

River after our walk. You can see ‘The Prison’ formation in the distance behind her.

This is definitely a walk I will do again. even if I leave the camera behind. I wonder how much further The Table and Needle might be…..?

My Adventures

Talisker Bay

Skye 2019: Part Seven

22nd June 2019

Talisker was a classic example of my own inept skills at planning, and because of this, it ended up a highly disappointing evening at the time. After a fantastic day at the Fairy pools, I planned to come here for a sunset, on what appeared to be the only likely evening where I might have a chance at a good, red one. I had seen some online photos that showed a really lovely beach, with lovely features in the sands, an interesting sea stack, a waterfall, and basically a lovely vista well worth going to photograph, so teamed with a red sky, it may be a dream shot…In itself not a terribly bad plan I thought!

The drive over was a very pleasant one, and according to google maps there was a car park nearby to make everything easy. Well, I have no idea where this might be, because there was no car park to be seen, and I ended up at the bottom of a small dead end road looking around at signs telling me there was private property here, there, and over there. I gather from the signage, that people parking here are a nuisance. Another sign pointed me to a beach…but it was clear there was no road going any further. After a look around, I squeezed my camper into a small space where maybe 3 cars might park safely without annoying the folks living there too much, picked up my kit, River, and we began the hike in the direction the beach arrow was pointing. I was a little concerned as to how far there was still to go, and felt I may have missed my opportunity as it was quite late in the day, but after a short hike which took me through woodland, through someone’s front garden (!!), and past a big field with sheep in it, the route opened itself up to the bay just as the golden hour was in its final half hour.

This is when I realised my bad timing.

There was no beach to be seen anywhere, and access to the waterfall was completely impossible. The lovely patterns in the sand were gone…and I was faced with a beach full of boulders. Hefty ones some of them too. I just stood looking at the scene feeling really disappointed in myself. Eventually I clambered over the boulders, and found a position closer to the water, and tried what I could with my camera. With limited viewpoints, everything I tried was just half hearted though, and after the golden hour, even the sun didn’t seem to want to give me the hoped for glorious sunset, with the light slowly fading, and the blue increasing.

It was pretty, and just sitting watching the sun change through all the shades as the blue hour approached was very calming. River didn’t seem interested in taking a dip, so we basically just sat there, watching, and soaking up the peace. Such a difference to the evening a few nights ago at Duntulm! Another couple drifted in walked along the edge, and disappeared again, but apart from them, the beach was entirely empty.

Eventually I resigned myself to the fact the sky wasn’t going to light up, and I packed everything up, turned my back and started to walk off. River plodded silently next to me, and as I neared the edges of the boulders I took one last look before joining back onto the path that led back to the camper.

My heart stopped.

Yep… you guessed it… behind my back the sky suddenly given one last effort, and had lit up. It was only briefly, and by the time I got my camera and tripod back out, there was only a little left..but I managed to capture a little that was still in the east. I missed completely the stunning red I had first glanced.

Not the dream shot I hoped for, but its enough to remind me of several things. Firstly. Don’t go until you are SURE the sunset is fully over (!) Secondly, (this one was very much in hindsight) and more importantly, sometimes, just sitting, and not taking a photo isn’t a bad thing. Soaking up the atmosphere is often a much better option, less stressful, and amazingly good for the soul! This evening was still beautiful, peaceful, and amazingly calming – it just wasn’t picturesque in the way I hoped. Why on earth did I try to force it? I have clearly developed a bad habit of pressuring myself to take a picture, Take A Picture, TAKE A PICTURE!!!… and sometimes, I should just take in the scene. I forgot to remind myself this was mostly a trip to see what was here…the importance of ‘getting THAT shot’ should have been the least important aspect. To this day its a bad habit and one I really need to pull back on, because all it effectively does is put pressure on myself which hampers everything.

I actually left feeling disappointed, and sad… how stupid of me to do that to myself!

My Adventures

Fairy Pools

Skye 2019: Part Six

22nd June 2019

You cannot visit Skye, and not visit the Fairy Pools. Seriously, you can’t I tell you! Not only is it a really enjoyable, easy walk, but there are so many varying waterfalls, that you will have plenty to look at.

When I went, I found the car parking to be much improved since my last visit, and I read they are still hoping to do more…planning some public toilets was one improvement I heard they were thinking about. The car park now is much larger, and can accommodate campers with no issue, and it’s so close to the beginning of the walk, that it is the perfect place to start.

I parked up and noted that the weather was yet again pretty grim looking, so wrapped up well and started on the long hike. I saw my first waterfalls straight away, but decided that I would make my way to the last one first, then photograph them as I made my way back. In hindsight, this wasn’t the best idea, as I completely underestimated just how busy this area would get as the day went on, and as I started, it was definitely quieter.. although.. actually, maybe this wasn’t the wrong decision. At the end the prettiest of the falls was still very quiet when I arrived… so I retract that last line…or at least need to add that maybe there is no ‘good’ time as such. This walk can, if you want, take you all day so my advice would be to simply plan which falls you want the most, and pick either the beginning or end of the day for those, and simply spread out the remainder for the rest of your time there.

I did stop by each fall and see what shots I might be able to get with them nonetheless. I spotted one photographer taking pictures of one, standing in such a position that I couldn’t work out how he had gotten there. I ended up assuming he had crossed the river earlier, and had come down on the other side. He would certainly get a nice shot from where he was standing, and I didn’t recognise the falls he was photographing either, so well done him, they are clearly not ones that get snapped very often! I carried on walking, seeing a few other people on the way, interested that even this early there were several groups here. At one point, where it felt as though the falls seemed to come to the end of their best ones, and I heard at least two groups say that this was probably as far as they go, turning round and going back towards the beginning. If you come here, and you haven’t seen the main attraction.. my advice here would be KEEP GOING! I now realise that these people had missed the prettiest of them all… and you really can’t miss them when you get there.

As I got to the end, I was really pleased I had gone straight there. With just one other couple there, I pretty much had the falls to myself, and was over the moon with the view. The weather, though grim, had held off, and I had had enough wherewithal to have worn Wellington boots… the plan was to walk right into the river and get that well photographed shot looking straight at the falls. River plodded happily next to me, very pleased when it came to getting our feet wet, so I just let her enjoy the water as I started to set up.

This was where I felt a little sad, and worried.. I really wanted to get one of those lovely long exposure photos, with the soft water, but without my big stopper, I was really concerned how I would best achieve the shot I hoped for. I got everything ready, and decided to look at what filters I did have, and see what I could do for the best. I still had my little stopper, so put that in the bit of holder that just about still held a filter..it did help a little, but wasn’t quite enough to darken it to the level I needed…in the end I pulled everything out, put a polariser on, held the little stopper, then ended up holding groups of everything else I had together manually in front of the lens. It looked clumsy and ridiculous, but when the shot had finally taken, I could do nothing but stare at the screen. I had never taken a shot like it….it was everything I had ever wanted in a photo. The clarity was spot on, the ominous clouds bounced across the top of the mountain behind, the water fell with such a lovely soft flow, and the light was amazing. I just kept taking more of the same. Probably no point to that, but I really wanted to keep this image! Behind me, I could see lots of blue sky coming, but this photo had nothing but the moody clouds, and they simply stayed put, giving me plenty of opportunities to get high wispy bits, or lower angrier clouds. I felt on top of the world!

Once I had the all the shots I could get, I began the slow wander back…and as each moment passed it got hotter and hotter, as all the blue chased the cloud away. People arrived in their swimming costumes, and bathed in the deeper pools, many paddled in the shallower water…I trudged along in wellingtons, a jumper and a thick rain coat…much to the confused looks of all the holidaymakers! I didn’t care…I continued walking into the river on the falls that I could get to, and tried to catch as much as I could on my way back. As the crowds built it got harder and harder, but I waited patiently where I could, and just took my time. This was my plan for today, and I was in no real hurry. River was also having a ball, completely in her element she was in and out of the water, laying down, swimming, and just shaking all the drips off constantly, and really seemed to enjoy this hike far more than any of the others. In all, it took me most of the day.

The numbers of different types of falls, surprised me. They weren’t all gentle bubbling brook ones, some were high and thin, some came from different angles towards themselves, crashing down in one big mass of water, one came down so tidily, that the flow away was crystal clear, showing the rock formations, and colours clearly. Others were full on bubbling masses of water over the boulders. The variations were striking every time! This is a photographers dream for sure, and the challenges varied with each and every fall. Some were very easy and obvious shots, some only had one spot you could shoot from, but several others offered a few options if you felt a little adventurous.

One such fall was towards the beginning of the walk (or towards the end as I was making my way back to the start in my case). I noticed this one because of the photographer that had stood there earlier in the day. As I got back to it, I wondered how he HAD actually gotten to his position, and feeling brave, decided to climb down towards the river to get a closer look. As luck would have it, having wellingtons on helped massively, because I was able to navigate across the river, and get across to the other side after all. Round here I was able to walk back to the waterfall the man had been photographing, and I couldn’t help but fall in love with the location. It just felt SO calm and peaceful, and almost like I had a private little glen to myself. No-one else was here, and during the time I spent here, only one other couple ventured across. The light by now was very harsh, and it was really difficult to get a shot I was happy with, but I spent some time trying nonetheless. The atmosphere here was just so gorgeous, I didn’t really want to leave, and River obviously felt much the same, as she was just content to lay in the grass, sunning herself. I must find out when the light is at its best for this secluded spot, and try again… well any excuse really will do! I suspect, in times of heavy rain or snow melting, crossing the river will be MUCH harder so maybe I should just rejoice in my luck on this day, and remember the joy and peace I felt at this spot.

I eventually got back to the bottom towards the evening, and ended up shooting the twin falls at the start of the walk. These seem to get overlooked a lot, and yet they are so very pretty. I guess most people aim for the main walk at the start of their walk, and by the time they get back here, they are a bit waterfalled out! This should have been a pretty easy and straightforward shot, but I didn’t bargain on the famed midges coming out to play, and battled them terribly, as they tickled every exposed bit of skin I had in their attempts to land and have their meal for the night! I snapped quickly, and ended up pretty much running from the spot. Next time, I will try this shot earlier in the day, or at a different season!!

As a first serious scouting of the area however, I could see lots of potential at many of the spots I shot, and I could see a lot of learning curves, on where I went wrong. One of my biggest issues ended up being that stark, strong sunlight, which pretty much whited most of the falls out, and my skill set struggled to work out how to take the photos to show them to their best. I was over the moon, however, to see one of my best shots to date come out this walk, highlighting to me where my photographic learning is progressing.

I cant wait to go back!!

My Adventures

Sligachan

Skye 2019: Part Five

21st/22nd and 24th June 2019

Ahhh, I love this place… aaaaand so does every tourist, photographer and hiker that come to Skye. In fact its so well photographed that its pretty impossible for anyone to miss this place, especially considering… oh, wait… did I just drive through it???

Thus was my first experience of Sligachan.

Unbelievably, for such an amazing location there’s very little here to spoil it or point it out noticeably… well apart from the HUGE number of tourists. There’s literally, just a hotel, a small camp site and something just back off the road near a small car park- and that’s it. The route to most locations I visited took me through here several times however, so I afforded myself several stops over the week, (to try and capture the quieter moments) and rather than post multiple times, I will pop them all together in one.

My first proper stop here, other than a quick scouting trip where I just got frustrated with people, was after I had finished breaking my leg, camera and spirit at Brides Veil Falls. I decided that I deserved a proper night at a campsite, a decent shower and some alcohol (which I tend to avoid on these trips, as I drive so late into the evening and early in the morning) I got to the campsite, asked availability, and was pleased to find that there were several spaces free. I didnt need any electric hook up, and the price, including free showers, was very reasonable, so I found a nice pitch, and settled in. I had hoped for a meal cooked for me this night, but the hotel was hosting a wedding, so both the bar and restaurant were closed for the private function sadly. Instead, I cooked a simple, quick, one pot meal, then went for a nice wander to chill out from my days upsets, and to get some ideas for the morning. I planned to be out well before the tourists arrived, and since it was midsummer, that meant I had a good few hours that would work for me from 5 or 6am if I chose, as people started arriving around 8 am here. I wandered up the river a little but soon got caught in boggy ground with my casual slip on shoes, so abandoned the walk up that way. I did get some nice ideas however, and seeing that there was little likelihood of there being a nice sunset, I headed back to the campsite, to have a shower, some wine, and a wonderful early night.

As I got back towards the hotel, I was stopped by two American women asking if this was the place of ‘the legend’. I had no idea, so they walked away to the hotel to ask someone there. As I wandered around the bridges one last time, they came back to me, and happily informed me that it was. On my blank expression, they explained that they had come all the way from the USA to Skye specially to fulfil the instructions in the legend…that if you dip your face into the water under the bridge for seven seconds, you will be blessed with eternal beauty. To be fair, they both clearly had a really good head start on that one, but fascinated I watched them make their way down to the waters edge, and cheered them on from the new bridge, as each in turn, did indeed lean forward on their bellies, and hold their faces in the cold flowing waters under the old Sligachan bridge.

Its a sweet legend now I have read it, of a mighty warrior, a daughter whose tears reached the fairies at this place, and of how they granted her a wish to save her mother – go look it up before you go, its well worth the read before your visit. Next time I am here I may give the face dipping a go – you never know – it might reverse time a bit…!!!

I woke in the morning fully refreshed and raring to go, being at the (people free) bridge easily, by 7am. My first visit here, and the walk last night, had me mildly concerned about the hill right behind the Old Bridge. On both occasions the light had been directly on the hill making it look a little flat, and rather bland to my eyes, and my fear was that it would look like that today too… but I needn’t have worried. Today I was blessed with a bit of cloud cover to the left, that cast a nice shadow over the hill peak, giving it a bit of life. I snapped photos eagerly from this side while it was there, then moved around to some other positions as it cleared, leaving the hill flat again. This shot ended up one of my favourites, even though it’s probably the spot most photographers use…

As I was on the opposite bank, I met with another photographer, Thomas. For a while we worked together, chatted about our work, kit, and offered tips or suggestions to each other. He was really interesting to chat to, preferring black and white pictures, which is different to those I take. He spoke to me about the use of tone, and the difference it made in how he looked at a picture. “For colour photography, sunrise and sunset are the best times ” he said “because the colours are so beautiful. For the middle of the day, it can get quite hard though, and that’s when I think black and white can work well. You aren’t looking for colour, you are looking for tone instead”. He went on to explain what helps for a tonal photograph, and it felt that I was being given a valuable and worthwhile tutorial. I was also fascinated to hear, and see the results of, his recent trip to Norway on a photographic trip with a guide. “The guide knew lots of secret and quiet spots, and the best time to visit them” he explained. This is a dream trip of mine, and his shots were amazing, making me feel desperate to do one of these!… sounds like I really need to get saving, or finding funding of some sort, if I ever hope to fulfil this dream though… it wasn’t cheap!

I considered Thomas’s photography to be considerably better than mine, and have since looked at all of his galleries on the internet as a source of inspiration, so I was quite pleased when, after following me to a spot I had hunkered down in, he declared “Oh this is a fantastic spot, you have found the best one yet!” (Featured image at top) It helped me feel that I could do something right to please a real ‘pro’! As we took photos here, the first tourist bus arrived, so he decided to finish, having achieved the shots he wanted, and the site was getting more and more populated. I too started packing down shortly afterwards, when I was joined by another man, Bucko, who was clearly video blogging. This looked interesting, so we chatted about that, about photography, and a number of other things for quite a while, continuing to chat as we both left and wandered back to our retrospective vehicles… we swapped Instagram details, and we have been following each other and chatting occasionally, ever since. This is such a nice way to meet new friends!

A few days later, another new friend (met on the Old Man of Stor adventure) told me of another location very near Sligachan, with a lone white house, the river and the mountain as a backdrop. It sounded really pretty….but I never found it. I have since seen other photos of it, and now think I know where it is, but this will be a site for another day…. however, I did try to find it. On the way I found Sligachan falls. How I missed this on my scouting trip I have no idea, as its a very short walk from the photo above! The main route through Sligachan is the A87, but at the hotel, it forks onto the A863 (the turning to the left if you are standing with the bridges behind you) After a short walk up here, you will see a foot path to your left, and this takes you directly to the falls…do go, you will not be disappointed!!

The view when I got there was gorgeous, and as luck would have it, the Black Cullin mountains were clear of cloud cover enough to afford some nice dramatic shots without obscuring its impressive shape. I was in love with this view, and could have stayed much longer! River, however, was trying her hardest to get down to the water, but there was no obvious way down from this side. She had my heart stop several times when it looked like she might actually try and jump off the steep edge. Eventually for her safety more than anything, I decided that I had enough shots, and should leave before she managed to leap off !

(Update)…I have since discovered that its pronounced Schleeg-a-chan… ch pronounced as in loch…just so you know!

(Second update)…I found the white cottage on a second visit in Jan 2020… just a bit further up from the falls, and down a small private road. Very easy to get to, and quite a classic shot!

My Adventures

Fairy Glen and Brides Veil Falls

Skye 2019: Part Four

21 June 2019

These two locations are just SO beautiful, but boy, what a roller coaster day!

My first stop today was at the Fairy Glen. Other than the many photos I had seen of the spirals that can be seen here, and Castle Ewan, the very picture worthy rocky outcrop, I didn’t really know much else about this place. I had a list ready for today, thinking that I would take some pictures here quickly, and move on, but I left thinking of the many different shots I wanted, and fully regretted giving myself such a short window. My advice would be for everyone to allow time to explore! Next time I come here, I will tour the whole area, and take the time to photograph everything!

I parked in the first spot I found, which happened to be right near the road, and just at the start of the Glen, then picked up my kit, and went for a hike. The second I rounded the first hill I fell in love. The area was covered in gentle mounds looking like a mini mountain range for fairies. They were big enough to give me some exercise climbing up them, but small enough that you can be up them in minutes. Unbelievably, I didn’t stop to take a single photo in my rush to get to the main attraction. A decision I sorely regret.

As I closed in on Castle Ewan. I realised that not only was it over the other side of the road, but I could have parked much closer. Where I had arrived first thing in the morning, there had been only one other car in my spot, so assumed that was the parking spot. There appear to be several lay-bys though, so the area can accommodate around 10 cars in all, that I saw.

The weather was still fairly grim looking, but far out on the horizon I could see that there was nicer weather coming. By the road at the foot of Castle Ewan, there is a pond, and after a quick wander I finally got my camera out. The scene looked awesome, with some really moody cloud behind. At one point the wind dropped slightly, the water stilled, and I managed to get one of my favourite photos of the trip. Seconds later I heard a splash, and I realised River had jumped right on in. Her timing couldn’t have been any better really! This water was much safer than the waterfall on the River Rha, so I let her enjoy the swim.

As we sat here, the tourists started arriving fairly quickly. It was 9 by now, so my advice would be to get here for sunrise or 7ish to have a better chance for people free photos. From here on in, I battled growing crowds that arrived, literally, by the bus load. Because of this, I decided to photograph Ewan first, to avoid any further crowds being too great an issue, and hiked up to the top. As I started up the narrow path, I saw a shot I liked, with the path up being an interesting leading line in, and set up in readiness for the people at the top, to come back down. While doing so, I had a group of people behind me also waiting patiently. Realising I was holding them up, I told them to go on up, to which they replied…’no, its OK…get your photo first’. I was so pleasantly surprised at this reaction but so extremely grateful for it! I grabbed several shots as soon as I could, then let them through with lots of individual thanks you’s. I followed them up and clambered up to a lovely point at the top, in line with the rocky peak. River and I waited here a fair while at this point for all the people to pass, and we just chilled at the top for ages. The views from here were well worth just sitting and looking at. Mind you, not having a great head for heights, and this particular spot being pretty narrow, was really scary for me, with drops to either site of the spot I sat in – having this chance to find the calm I needed was an additional benefit to the wait however!!

Once clear of people, I took some shots at the top, then wandered down, around the still evident spiral, and up one of the mounds next to castle Ewan. I was a little disappointed that there were no stones in the spirals when I went, as they really do heighten the magical feel of the photos of this place. I believe its a tourist thing though, and the locals come along and move them, because they aren’t natural to the area. There’s even a sign asking people to not move the stones because ‘the fairies don’t like it’. I understand the thought process of continually removing the stones, and trying to encourage people to just enjoy the area for its natural beauty, but in my mind, I can see the removal of them having a very different effect. With no stones, the spirals get walked around, thus wearing down the grass. With the stones getting removed, tourists then go to find more stones to put them back, and in doing so, may destroy another area….and what’s actually wrong with having a stone spiral? Many stone circles are not natural, but add a greater interest to a location, and some even enhance the area. I personally think they do here, since I think my photos looked pretty flat and bland from this angle, with just a big bit of worn green grass to the front of the castle. The spiral adds some additional interest, especially if you can capture it with the stones’ shadows. As it goes, my shots were full of people anyway, so were anything but magical. This location is most definitely an early or late one, as its very popular, and I think a capture with stones may be very hit and miss. Thankfully Photoshop exists…and people can be tastefully removed…

My next stop was Brides Veil Falls, not too far from Old Man of Stor. I had been looking forward to this one, as photos of it showed a really picturesque waterfall, and, from a different angle, a nice viewpoint taking in the Stor rock formation in the background. It wasn’t signposted from the road, and the only real reason I spotted it was because a big bus of tourists was parked in the small car parking spot. I waited for a few minutes before they finished loading all the passengers, and parked up as soon as the bus pulled away and a space became available. There is space for about 3-4 cars, but if another bus came in, I wouldn’t have been able to park anywhere.

I could see the area was boggy, so changed into my wellington boots, a very wise choice in hindsight, as I ended up having to cross the waterfall river for both views that I ended up liking the most. The weather was a bit hit and miss – like this morning at the fairy glen, it was grey above me, but to my right I could see growing patches of blue, so hoped they would be with me by the time I got to the top. The route up was steep, muddy and very slippery, but I scrabbled on up with the dog beside me undeterred, and driven in purpose by the promise of a beautiful shot. As I got to the base of the waterfall, I realised that the best position would be either straight on, or on the other side of the river and that I was currently in the wrong place completely.

As luck would have it, there was a large flat stone that would be perfect to set up on, facing the waterfall, so I looked at crossing the water hopefully using some sturdy stones to get over. It took a minute of careful looking but I eventually found what I hoped to be a good route and started across. The first three stones were good and solid, but stone 4 wasn’t in the slightest. As my weight was fully on it, it slipped away from under me, and my left leg plunged into the cold water right up to my knee, cracking my shin really hard against the rock I was aiming for. I scrabbled onto the rock, screaming in my head. I grabbing the leg in agony and just sat there for a moment to allow the initial searing pain to pass and settle into a groaning ache. That’s when heard my poor dog crying on the other side of the water. Thinking she had followed me I suddenly remembered her, and struggled back up to my feet to try and find her a route over. After a fair bit of encouragement, she managed to find the good route I was pointing at, half jumping and half swimming across the water. She came round to the big rock, and just sat under the tripod as I set everything up, focussed, and got ready to shoot.

That’s when the heavens opened. I grabbed the old Niagara rain mac that I had in my bag, threw it over the whole set up (and dog), and simply huddled down into my own coat to wait it out. There wasn’t much else I could do. I consoled myself and the dog, rubbed my sore shin gingerly and just sat there. Then, to my right, I saw a big group of tourists just staring me. A totally mad woman sitting in the middle of the river, with her dog and camera under a pathetic flimsy raincoat, in the pouring rain. I wasn’t sure if their looks were of complete disbelief or total amusement at the sight. I could do no more than put a big happy (currently fake) smile on my face, and give them a joyful thumbs up signal. They just stared a moment longer, turned, and started to make their way back down. Please God may they have not taken a photo of their own…

The rain eventually stopped, so I reframed the shot and went to take the photo…when I realised another photographer had worked his way into the top of my shot with a partner. Cussing quietly at my ongoing bad luck, I just gave him a courteous little nod, and waited some more for him to finish his shot. I don’t mind this sort of wait too much, as I know the love for the shot they may be getting, and I know at some point, either past or future, I will undoubtedly be that photographer that someone else has to wait for. It seemed to take an age for him to take his photos, he was certainly in no hurry himself, but eventually he did start packing up (still in no apparent hurry) and I readied myself for my shot at last. Then the heavens opened again. I waited this one out, then as it finished I grabbed several shots before it might have come down a third time!

I was really pleased with the images at the back of the camera, so after I had my fill taking those shots, I packed the kit up and hobbled up to the rough area that the other photographer had been standing. This was the second shot I was aiming for, with the Stor in the background, and I was really pleased to see that in that direction, the sky had turned really blue. Hopefully that had been the last of the rain for today…it was certainly beginning to try and break through the clouds. In the viewfinder the shot looked like a typically beautiful postcard image. I sorted myself out slowly, as best as my leg would let me, and River dog had a good explore of the area. It felt safe here for her, so I let her wander a little wider, sniffing sheep poop, ferns and everything a dog finds exciting. it was absolute bliss…. for a few minutes anyway. I snapped about 4 shots of the beautiful view, then turned to get something out of my bag for the briefest of seconds. Just at that point, a sudden gust of wind came from nowhere, grabbed the camera and threw it to the ground. It was absolutely one of those horrific slow motion moments when you yell that long ‘NOOOOooooooo!!!!’ in your head, and you see your arm thrown out in the vain hope that you can grab the camera, but you miss… then all timey wimey reality comes back in an instant short sharp snap, at the horrifying, gut wrenching sound, of smashing glass.

I raced over to see the camera had hit a rock, that my expensive Lee Big stopper filter was in pieces, and the holder was dented. Dreading the worst, I carefully lifted the camera, choking back fearful tears, terrified of what other damage there was…OMG.. the lens? The Camera??? The £££’s started mounting in my head and I was beside myself when I finally pulled the filter holder off to examine everything, and turn the camera on. It was fine. I couldn’t believe it. I checked again, and again – The lee filter had saved my lens, and the camera fired up without issue. No scratches, no dents..only the filter was gone. Although I was unbelievably relieved, I was gutted and despondent by now too. This spot had been little more than a big group of bad events that just seemed to torture me endlessly. I really couldn’t face any more. I carefully picked up every part of the filter I could find, reforming it in the tin until it was clear that I had picked up all the pieces of glass, packed the rest of the kit away, then feeling completely and utterly deflated, I slowly hobbled my way back down the hill.

I got back to the camper, put the kettle on, and took the boots off to examine my leg at least. There was nothing there. The chronic bruise I expected was absent, despite it still feeling terribly painful to the touch…and in fact..it took over 5 days before my lower leg suddenly turned a yellow colour as the last of the bruising finally made its way out. Still sore for weeks after, I read up that I had likely suffered a bruised bone…which, apparently, is as close as you can get to a broken bone as it gets without having an actual fracture. Leg inspected, I had a cup of tea, and looked at the photos of the day… the last picture was lovely. Just the shot I had hoped for. So..after all that, it had been a successful day after all!! My tip here is to simply remember…A good cuppa makes everything in the world great again!