NC500 – Knightshoots Landscape Photography

Glen Docherty Viewpoint, 3 Lochs, Blackwater Falls and Fyrish…

Scotlands Highlands 2020: Part Fifteen

6 August 2020

I didnt know it in the morning as I awoke, but today was going to be a bumper day of energy, beautiful sights and renewed enthuasium.

It started off cloudy, but was dry, and held a bit of promise in the air. I took my time getting sorted and as I did, I saw the skies clearing, and then spotted patches of sunlight begin to dance across the landscape. It looked stunning… and these patches of light gradually increased in duration until eventually, I found myself jumping out of the camper, camera in hand, to capture the view properly. I was so glad I did, because the shots were incredibably pretty and totally varied depending on where the light was dancing.

Glen Docharty Viewpoint, looking perfect this morning

I managed to get several photographs of the viewpoint before a tour guide stopped by with a mini bus full of excited Japanese girls stopped by. He told them that Queen Victoria had visited here, that it was used in an advert and had been in several films, so is a very popular spot for tourists. I cant say I would disagree, and today was a particularly pretty demonstration on how it can look here. They snapped loads of photos, petted River and photographed themselves with her too before they all moved on. I eventually left too, revisited Loch Maree quickly to try and capture some shots that I had wanted, and then headed off to find more of my Ross and Cromarty locations.

First stop was Loch Clair. There was a nice easy hike along the side of the Loch, and after I found a good parking spot River and I headed out for the first long walk I’d had in days. By now the temperature had increased, and the day was proving to be a glorious sunny one. It was one that my spirits desperately needed, but not one that was quite so good for photography, as the strong sun simply washed a lot of the shots out or left me with harsh shadows. Regardless of the photo opportunities, the hike was really peaceful and enjoyable, and I was just so happy to be able to soak up the calm gentle beauty here. I walked by the side of Loch Clair, and then the path continued on to go alongside Loch Coulin. A two in one hike, bonus!! This loch had a different character to it, and was filled with plants. It wasnt quite as clean a sight as I had hoped for, but it was really pretty nonetheless. I found myself a small rocky outcrop and sat with River for a while, and took a shot from there. I wondered if the greenery would be in the water over the winter/early spring. This one would definately be worth coming back to to check, as it would be really nice if it was possible to get a reflection in the water of the white house with the stunning Beinn Eighe behind it. There’s no bridge here for a better angle, so it might not be possible, but a return trip would answer that question I guess…

Loch Coulin. I would have loved a much cleaner reflection, but it wasnt to happen today.

The walk (or the boots I was using today) had began to hurt my feet giving me a blister, so I had to turn back from here rather than investigate the route further. I love it when you go back on yourself on a route though, you see everything differently, and by the time I got back to Loch Clair, I spotted a small boat house with some perfectly still water in front of it. I have been dreaming of a shot with a glass like reflection, and though this wasnt the ‘mountain in the water’ shot I dreamed of, it looked really nice. (header pic) Loch Clair itself would also have had the shot I hoped for, but the light breeze kept sending random patches of ripples across different sections of the water, so I couldnt get it all in one on this visit. Another time right?!

I hobbled back to the camper when I was done, and stripped everything off my feet. Luckily I have a good supply of blister plasters, so I put one on, some nice soft socks, and popped my super comfy sketchers trainers on to ease the foot a little. Next it was cup of tea time, and then I looked at my list for a nearby location that wouldnt involve me walking for miles. On the map, I spotted Blackwater falls, so decided that this would be my next stop. I had forgotten what these looked like, so I drove in the direction without knowing exactly what I was looking for and was really surprised to find it right on the side of the road. This meant that it would be very easy on my foot, as the walk was minimal.

It was so beautiful here! The car park was quite spacious, and free so I was able to just park up and come out for a walk first without the weight of a camera bag. What a treat met my eyes when I got to the falls!!

Blackwater falls. An absolutely gorgeous location. I could have stayed for hours here!

Here was a fall that was quite open and accessible. There was a purpose built platform, a bridge, and all down the side were rocky flat outcrops so you can get right down to the water. Spots to take photos here were plentiful, and with the sunlight now easing a little behind blobs of cloud, I found myself like a child in a candy shop stopping every few feet to take photos from a slightly different perspective. My favourite spot by far was along a huge slab of rock where the water formed two amazing whorls in the water. They changed constantly, spinning and undulating, growing and shrinking in both size and character, non stop. With the sun popping in and out over the scene I found my self chilling here for an age just watching the pattern, and happily snapping to get a bunch of constantly changing views.

When I eventually finished here, my foot felt considerably better, it was still only 4.30, and I wondered if I might be able to catch a nice sunset somewhere. Once again I consulted my map and decided to head for Fyrish monument. This had intregued me massively, because it looked different, and had a lovely history/myth about it. In 1783, The highland clearances were underway, and the local land owner Sir Hector Munro felt some pity for the poor and starving villagers who had been moved off the land for sheep farming. When they refused his charity, he commissioned them to build this Folly instead. It was a representation of the Gates of Negapatam, in Madras, India which Munro had, as a General for the British army, successfully siezed from the Dutch in 1781. As the villagers toiled in their work, the myth has it that Munro would roll the boulders back down the hill, so that they would have to do double the work to bring them back up again… therefore earning double the pay.

What I hadnt read about, was the walk to get there.

When I arrived I found that the carpark was a good 2 miles earlier than the sat nav was telling me, so I parked in this spot. Then I read on the board that the walk to the monument was 2 miles. 2 hours to go, I am sure I can make this, I thought. Chatting to a man coming down, this was the only car park, so no idea what Google maps had marked up..! 2 Miles was OK I thought, I had a blister plaster on by now, and different footwear, so I headed off into the woods with River… to hike 2 miles completely uphill – with all my kit on my back(!) Maybe the gradient was really hard, maybe it was because this was a second big hike in one day, maybe it was the weight I was carrying or maybe there WAS a second car park closer, but no matter what, I found this walk extremely hard work. Halfway up, I paused by a small pond, and River, herself very hot by this climb, immediately ran for it for her now obligatory swim. I couldnt stop her getting in, but I had to call her out quickly, as it was thick with a green black algae. When I got her back, I had a hilarious looking half black, half white dog. Chuckling at the sight, I snapped a quick photo and sent it to the children, but to avoid the temptation of River getting back in, I no choice but to push on. When I finally got to the top, my angst at the walk melted away because the view was gorgeous and the monument bathed in a lovely evening light. I got my camera out and immediately started taking pictures. Within 6 and a half minutes the sun disappeared, but I had just about managed to take 5 good shots from 2 positions… this was the last, and my favourite.

Fyrish Monument. Much harder to get to than I realised!!

When I looked skywards, a huge black cloud had blotted the sun out to my total disappointment. I waited a while, then had a wander around the top of the hill, which was pretty flat and had little else to look at other than the view behind the monument. River on the other hand, found herself another puddle, and full of bold enthuasiam, didnt just step in, she full on jumped – and disappeared completely (!!!!) A pair of girls who had just arrived, had been watching and burst into laughter at the dog, but it took several (frantic and endless for me!!) seconds for her to resurface, bobbing up and looking completely shocked. She frantically paddled to the edge, and couldn’t get a footing out, so I quickly grabbed her collar and gave a quick hoick so she could get her paws on the ground again. My heart was pounding, but she just shook herself down, gave the pool a distainful look and happily wandered off to explore a different area. I waited 45 minutes until the sun set, but the cloud didnt move. There wasnt a single breeze to get it moving. The sun set behind me which didnt alight any of the cloud either, to my disappointment, but I felt that perhaps a sunrise silhuette shot might look much nicer, especially if the sky was on fire. The way I felt right now however, there was no way I was gonna attempt this hike again anytime soon!

Full of sadness, River and I took another full hour to get all the way back down again and at 10.15, it was far too late to cook, so we both had something to drink, and settled into bed instead, totally exhausted.

…only… I couldnt sleep…

My Adventures

Bucholi Castle, Westerdale Mill and Achscrabster Quarry

Scotlands Highlands 2020: Part Six

Today my first stop was to head back over towards Bucholi castle. I followed the route I took home last night, and found my way there a fair bit easier, although I still managed to take a slightly wrong turn across the field. When I arrived, I realised that I still had the timing wrong and this wasnt a sunrise site after all, so by 8.30 it was still in shadow. Despite a rainy dawn, the sky was now mostly blue, so the shadow across the castle was quite harsh, which didnt look especially nice in the viewfinder sadly. I did what I could, and thought that this would be a better site another time, when conditions were a little more interesting. I love the history here though.

It was built. like Girnigoe and Wick on a large promontory jutting out safely away from the land, offering 3 sides of impenetrable 100ft rock face, and only one narrow bit to enter or leave the castle. This needed a drawbridge to cross, since even that had steep sides, and right in front of the main entrance, a big trench. Today I think it is only the gutsy or stupid that cross that bit… it looks scary looking down and on a windy day this would be extremely dangerous to cross!! This proved to be a really useful location when the original builder, a notorious pirate, robber and ‘Ultimate Viking’ by the name of Sweyn Asliefsson ran into a spot of bother around mid 1150’s when his lieutenant murdered a local nobleman. The nobleman’s son asked the local Earl, Rognvald, for justice and the Earl dutifully arrived with his forces to arrest Asliefsson. The Viking held the castle while the Earl and his men pitched outside, and a stalemate was had until Asliefsson and his 60 men started to run out of provisions. At this point, they planned a daring escape. One night, Asliefsson and his murderous henchman, Margad Grimson, lowered themselves down to the water on opposite side of the promontory to where Rognvald and his men were camped, and quietly swam away to their freedom. As a side note, from Sweyn, comes the surname Swanson, and his grandson Gunni was the founder of the Clan Gunn. Sweyn Asliefsson was in fact a very powerful man, disarmingly charming, and friend to anyone in power, (including Kings), but he was also self serving and brutal if crossed. Described as ‘the last great Viking’, this was a man you didnt really want to cross!

The lands here were eventually given to the Mowat family by Robert the Bruce, and the castle we see today was built here then, and renamed from the Asliefsson’s ‘Lambaborg’ to Bucholi.

I took a few photos, but neglected to take one that I had wanted from the other side to the one I have above… but this will be one I can add to my ‘next time’ list. I did what I could anyway, before returning to the camper, having breakfast and considering my next destination. I had two options, Duncansby stacks, and Westerdale mill. I really needed Duncansby to be a low tide, as I hoped for a lower viewpoint from the beach – but the timing meant that by the time I got there, the tide would likely be on the turn, and since I had no idea how long the walk from the car park would be, nor how long it would take me to find a spot I liked, I was a little concerned the rising tide might cut me off from getting back safely. Maybe tomorrow morning for that one I mused, and decided that Westerdale would be my next port of call. Decision made, I headed off.

Now Westerdale Mill was only a secondary addition to my list. There was a big area in the middle of Caithness without any points plotted, so I had searched for anything in the centre that might be worth visiting. By pure chance, I came across a fairly drab snapshot of the mill from a distance, and thought that maybe this might be worth looking at. Well, when I eventually spotted it and pulled up, I was amazed that this wasnt photographed far more frequently. It was gorgeous! Yes it is off the tourist path, but that’s what makes better sites for a photographer. They arn’t over run with people, and they are largely undisturbed. That was totally the case here. With just enough parking by the side of the road for Fred to park, I took River and went for an explore. We were the only ones here for the whole of my visit. The mill was fronted by a river that tumbled past over rocks in a really photogenic way, and to one side, it had a waterfall just to add more beauty to the shots. In fact the only thing missing to make it a picture perfect image, were blue skies and the sun shining on it! Sadly the morning’s promise of a bright day had drifted away during my drive, and now there were only little odd bits of blue showing in amongst the grey. This didnt matter however, the whole location was still magical to my eyes!

The photos here were very easy to capture, so it didnt take me very long to get everything I wanted. I waited for a little bit just in case the blue would return, but the sky just got grey and greyer. It was clear the glory of the morning wouldnt be returning. Since Duncansby was definately heading for high tide by now, I tried to find another location, and remembered one that had actually alluded me so far. I had seen a photo, several in fact, of an old quarry building adorned in ivy that I absolutely loved, but I had never found out where it actually was. When I had arrived here, I passed a quarry, and I suddenly wondered if it might be the same one. So I drove up the road for 5 minutes, and decided to have a look. Achanarras Quarry was easy to find, but boy it felt like a walk and a half from the parking spot to the quarry itself! I found it surprisingly exhausting, and by the time I got to the quarry, I realised that, no, this wasnt the same one. This one was one where you could go looking for fossils, and take them away with you! I didnt have any tools on me to hammer at the sandstone to seperate the layers, so couldnt join in on the fun sadly. I kinda wish I had realised, because I might have been tempted to stay! As it was, I did little more than about turn, and sadly walk all the way back to the camper. Very confused now, I had a deep and thorough search on the internet, and eventually found an old map. Ah.. now there it was! The quarry I was after. Achscrabster. (see! I knew it started with Ach…easy mistake…!!) I found it very strange how, even tho there are several photos of the quarry building I liked, noone actually said WHERE this place was! Turns out its literally right by the Achscrabster farm cottage that Google has clearly marked on its map, just 13 miles away from Westerdale, and a simple half hour drive. I didnt need to think twice, off I went!!

When I walked up to the building, I just stood staring at it. It looked exactly like all the pictures I had seen, and they had likely been taken over a period of years. The only change was a drop in the water level, but I guess thats seasonal, and this was summer after all. I loved it. I didnt quite love the bits of debris all over the water, nor the rain that was now falling however, and even less, I certainly didnt love the midges that swarmed right by the pool that I wanted to use for the reflection. This shot ended up a battle, with me ending up walking away (well running, flailing) on several occasions, and fighting drips down the front of the lens. My attention was on the tickling, biting midges in the end, and on most of the shots I clearly didnt wipe the lens properly. This is going to be equally hard work cleaning any of these shots up! After just a few tries, I literally had to abandon the shoot altogether. This was my first encounter with the ‘Wee Bitey things’… but it most certainly wouldnt be the last!! Welcome to Scotland’s most infamous summer resident!!

This one took a fair bit of work to clean up… but its come out better than I thought.

I drove on to Duncansby now, thinking that maybe I could at least have a look at the location ready for the morning, but the rain really wasnt letting up this time. I tried a brief walk over to the stacks, and think a photo on the beach would work really well. I wasnt too sure whether I could take River down there however, as it looks like you need a rope to get down! The rain was really coming down, and the wind was picking up quite a bit, so it was clear that it would be impossible for a photo from the top right now. I went back to the camper, and decided to wait for an hour or two to guage what was going to happen. There were ‘no wild camping’ signs stuck on plastic covered haystacks so I was feeling a little wary about staying overnight, but it might be, that my only chance to get out may be the very early hours of the morning.

Whilst having a cuppa, some dinner, and catching up with ‘paperwork’ (back ups/diary notes/watching cat videos…) I looked up ‘wild camping’ and the relevant laws in Scotland, and discovered that the term didnt actually refer to people in campervans, even though we use the term ‘wild camping’. The law refers only to those on foot or on a bike. It made sense that the land owner didnt want anyone pitching tents on the open land here, it was a perfect ‘campsite’ – open, flat, and very spacious, but anyone pitching up here would not only ruin the look of the landscape and wreck the grassland, they would scare away any animals that might inhabit the area I imagine. Given my new understanding of the term however, I thought that it would be fine to wait here in the car park till morning after all. I saw another two vans here, and a third joined us a couple of hours later, so took that as confirmation on my understanding of the signs. By 10, it was still raining, tho not as heavily, but the visibility had dropped even more and the wind had really picked up. I checked the weather forcast (probably should have done this MUCH earlier!!), and it showed that sure enough the rain was due to die down by midnight – the wind however was going to pick up to around 30mph, with gusts much higher, and it was going to remain this way all of tomorrow. I hoped the reports were exaggerated, as I really didnt want to leave without a photo of this fabulous place! Having sat through winds of over 45 in Skye earlier this year, I settled in for a shaky night, but wasnt quite as fearful of Fred blowing over as I had been in the past, and I actually slept fairly well given all the rocking I endured!!

My Adventures

Whaligoe Steps, Keiss Castle and Bucholie Castle

Scotland Highlands 2020: Part Five

26 July 2020

Taking things a little easier, I found magic was to be found today..

Well, today was really pleasant after yesterday. The sky was perfectly clear, and I started fairly early so that I could clear the Whaligoe carpark before too many people needed spaces. River didnt want to come as it was early, and she may still have been annoyed with me for tying her up yesterday. In hindsight it was just as well, because the route to the peninsular for the shot I hoped for, ended up a little tricky!

I went through Sandys gate as he suggested, and found myself in a field full of sheep. As I made my way to the left I could see the first stile on Sandys land, but even from here, I couldn’t see the other one that should have been on the side of the Whaligoe steps car park, so I now assume the one over there has gone. I navigated round the edge of Sandy’s field, and kept clear of his sheep. Down the bottom of this, and the next, field however, there were no further stiles or ways to cross the fences, and I had to literally climb over the barb wire (despite there being a sign pointing you to the viewpoint in the second field!!). Sandy forgot to mention that…!! They were tricky but once safely over, I made my way down the narrowing finger of land, until I dared not go any further. When I looked at the view from there however, I was fully rewarded. It was gorgeous! I was very slightly disappointed that the waterfall was smaller than I had seen in other photos, and a second fall that Davy mentioned to me, was absent altogether. I guess this must be a winter/spring shot to get the best from it but nonetheless, the view was jaw dropping. I definately want to come back here when there’s more water!! As I took my photos, the early morning sun behind me beamed down onto the waterfall at just the right angle to create a rather sweet rainbow at the bottom of the falls. I was kicking myself, because, to save weight, and assuming I would just want big vista shots, I didnt bring the heavy zoom lens. Thankfully, my cameras file sizes allow for a tighter crop. When will I ever learn though?!! (at least I know for my return visit…)

The Whaligoe waterfall looking like it could be somewhere tropical!

Whaligoe by the way, gets its name from two words. Goe meaning inlet, Whali quite simply being Whale. When the place got its name there would be trapped or even dead whales occasionally, and the villagers would winch them to the top, using every bit of the corpses, wasting nothing. The steps were made back in mid 1700’s so that the locals could descend the 250ft cliffs to get to fishing boats. Herring fishing boomed shortly afterwards, and the local women would carry the fish up in heavy baskets when the boats docked. In all there are currently 339 steps, although apparently there were 365 at one point, ‘one for every day of the year’ – or so Davy informed me, and half way up you can still just make out a resting point for the ladies to rest the baskets on for a brief breather. One trip down these steps and you realise just how tough these women must have been… in poor weather at peak season, it must have been a hard task! Locals have maintained these steps for many years, and continue to do so, so that we can still enjoy the history of the place. The steps lead down to an artificial grassy area called the Bink, which was used to haul boats up for repair, as a docking point for loading and unloading, and as a safe store for boats in bad weather. Ruins down there were originally used to store salt, and the building at the top was used to make barrels (this is now a cafe, tho was closed when I went). Davy told me that his grandfathers boat, one of the last, was finally pulled from the water in the 1970’s.

Whaligoe steps with the bink at the bottom, showing the salt store, and the barrel making buildings.

After what felt like a pretty fabulous start to the day, I left in good time, and filled up with fuel at Wick before moving further round Caithness towards Keiss castle. I had originally hoped for a nice moody shot of this castle with a high tide crashing on the cliffs that it perched on, but the weather and tide were definately not on the same page as me. When I arrived the tide was out and the weather was very still and calm, although the blue from the early morning was beginning to break up, and the tide was coming in, even if it did have several hours to go. Since it was so pleasant, I thought I would simply go for a walk and explore first. There was absolutely no hurry or pressure today, and I had to remind myself to chill a little and to enjoy myself. The walk along the front was really pleasant, easy and flat, and I walked along the beach almost to the end. I stopped to look in some WW2 pillboxes that are sitting right on the front here, when I realised that basking on the rocks were a group of about 5 seals! Well forget about the high tide… I hurried back for my camera now! It was about 15 minutes to get back and by the time I did, the tide had started to cover their sunbathing spots forcing most of the seals into the water, but I managed to catch a delightful shot of one sharing his seaweed bed with a duck, before he too eventually slipped quietly away. I didn’t worry too much about the ones I missed, (secretly hoping they might return of course!) but I was just happy to have seen them, as the sight had been so unexpected!

when you are happy to share your seaweed bed…

As I chilled on the pebbles after this shot, I saw behind me on the horizon a heafty black cloud heading my way. I might not get the crashing waves, but if I waited I might get my moody shot after all! It looked ominous, REALLY onimous, but remarkably, as it went over my head, obliterating the blue in one harsh line, it only rained for a little bit.. and not hard at that. I was fully expecting to be totally soaked. No idea who got the rain, but it was definately gonna be a wet one when it finally gave out! The cloud finally backed the castle, and I was treated to sun bursts that washed over the foreground, giving a really beautiful light across the scene. The first shots I took here had the light in patches, but then a long one swept over, and I managed to capture the whole of the mainland in light with the deep cloud behind. There is something I adore about watching the clouds and sun dance over a scene, and I stood for ages watching it here until eventually the blue sky took over again, and the tide started laping my tripod. Before I moved however, I spotted a familiar head bobbing up, and continually looking at me. When I moved to a slightly further position, and started taking pictures from this angle, the seal continued to bob up and observe my shenanigans. It was so adorable. He clearly didnt feel threatened in any way, and was quite obviously curious about me. I didnt realise it at the time, but he’d been doing this for some time as I found him in one of my earlier photos too! Eventually he left and I could see that high tide wasnt going to be especially dramatic, so being very content with my castle (and seal!) shots, I packed up, and wandered up the hill to get a closer view of the structure.

I was struck by its shape, as it reminded me of the folly, Broadway Tower in Worcestershire that I visited last year. That one came from an idea by Capability Brown and was built in 1794. Apparently its called a ‘z-plan’ design, and on reading further its not an unusual design. I havent seen any others myself yet. Keiss has two round towers built either side of a diamond central tower and each floor had only one room. Originally there were 4 floors and an attic, although the upper parts are now gone. As I got closer I could see it was fenced off as it is currently a dangerous structure, with bits still falling off. You can see the interior from the side where some of the North Eastern walls are now gone though. It looked intreguing. Having fallen into disrepair by the 1700’s, The land was purchased by Sir William Sinclair, 2nd baronet of Dunbeath and he built a manor house just across the field in a much safer spot. For me its really nice that he left this structure, rather than reuse the stones as was the norm, because I felt it was facinating to see this shape rather than the more ususal square tower, or sprawling encampment types of castles and homes.

I walked back to Fred, then walked on a little to see Keiss Harbour. It was a sweet one, but not terribly photogenic due to the number of cars parked all around it. So after a brief visit there, I left and headed to Bucholie castle, the next one on my list. Again, it wasnt too far, but as I approached its location according to Google maps, I realised that a) it wasnt signposted, and b) there was no parking. I drove past the area twice before I realised, and headed back to a derelict old cottage I had spotted, to work out what I wanted to do. I’d noticed parking spots for about 2 cars that took me safely away from the road on my last pass, so parked up there for now to look at my map.

Curious, I had a quick look around the cottage. There’s an idea for a photo that I have had in my head for a while now that I really want to try in one of these, but it all depends on what belongings are still available. Sadly, other than sheep poop, rubble and broken glass, there was nothing in this one, but it was lovely to walk around inside and imagine how the residents might have fared. As I got back to the Fred, I noticed fresh tire tracks on the ground so realised that others had parked here. Tired and hungry, I decided that maybe this should be my last stop for the day, with the idea of checking the castle out in the morning. I ate, and rested, but as the evening drew towards its close, it looked like it might be a nice sunset, and since, so far, I havent had a good one, I thought that maybe I should drag this tired old body out after all, just in case. So, off I trundled..

Turns out that there were no real foot paths, and only a pointer on Google maps that I could follow to get me there, so I was actually very glad I did this first visit to find it! I struggled to find the way over, travelling down one field too far, then missing the lightly trodden route across another. Eventually I found my way there, and as there was enough light to show where the cliff edges were, I didnt fall to my doom either! (Yay!) The sunset didnt flare up, and the light that did, came from the wrong direction putting the castle into darkness, so I wondered if this might work for a possible dawn shoot. For now there was just enough light for me to have an explore for viewpoints for the morning, and a quick videoed message for the kids to tell them a little about the history, (as this one is quite facinating..)

Bucholie Castle, looking very shocked at my presence this late into the evening!

As I walked back, I passed a group of derelict houses together, maybe three of them? Some cars were pulling up outside and a group of youngsters were piling out of each for an evening of fun no doubt. I followed the single lane track/road they had used, back up towards the main road, and realised it came out near to where I was parked. It was pretty dark by now, but I wondered if that might have been a better parking spot. Another time maybe – tonight I really didnt fancy moving any more. I was too exhausted and once tucked up in bed, fell to sleep very quickly!

My Adventures

Wick Lighthouse, Lifeboat House and Old Castle, and Whaligoe…

Scotlands Highlands 2020: Part Four

25 July 2020

What happens when you dont listen to your exhausted body?… Today I was going to find out.

Having stayed right by the harbour overnight, I was in a really nice place to explore Wick South Pier Lighthouse (a cute diddy one!) and the lifeboat house. Turns out I was the wrong side of the bay, and on top of this, I totally missed a second viewpoint I had hoped to use, that WAS on the side I was on. (ugh! Great start!) As the light wasnt exactly exciting, I guess it wasnt a real issue in the big scheme, since I could always try again on another trip. I drove the short distance to a road nearer the lifeboat house, and took the short walk down the hill to explore it. The tide was out as I explored, and it quickly became obvious that it needed to be in to make any nice shot work. I looked around anyway to find a nice viewpoint, and took pictures on the phone as a memory aid. The weather was very still, but a flat grey, so I decided to try again a bit later in the hope that I might have better luck. For now, I drove to Wick Old Castle instead, to while away the time. I was so glad I did, because I found the boards giving its history to be quite facinating!

The castle is on a bit of land that juts out into the ocean, pretty much the same as Castle Sinclair Girnigoe, (and as it turned out, several others) Much of it has fallen and disappeared, leaving just a square tower, but there are areas that are unexcavated, so there may be more footings under the ground. Its history is pretty obscure, but the bit that caught my attention was that its likely builder, way back in the 1100’s was half Norse. Apparently during this time, Caithness, Sutherland and all of the western Isles islands were actually under control of the Norwegians (or more accurately the Norse, whose land back then included areas we now know as Norway, Denmark and Sweden) Their ownership of this part of Scotland followed a treaty that had been passed shortly after Edgar became King in 1097. It wasnt a hard fisted control, with the local land owners being pretty much left to their own devices, but I found it facinating to consider that the far north east of Scotland may have been ‘Norwegian’ at one point nonetheless. Harald Maddadsson, the likely builder, was Earl of Orkney and Caithness, and this castle may have been built to mark his territorial rights on the mainland. As I hiked over the peninsular, I took a photo of the remnants of the castle looking back along the path I had just walked, but I was really nervous of River on this peninsular as she seemed intent on exploring the edges. Eventually I moved back to the mainland bit, and walked along to an end viewpoint instead.

I loved the view from here and took several photos, waiting in between each for the few tourists to clear the scene. It was quite relaxing, and by the time I had taken a few, I happily went back to the camper for a nice cuppa. There were still a couple of hours until high tide by this point, so I chilled even more by having a nap! Totally unheard of for me, but well needed obviously, as it was no effort to fall asleep.

When I awoke, the sky was even more grim looking but I made my way back to the Lifeboat house determined to try a shot there. The grey meant that no sunset would be likely, so I didnt think it would be worth waiting for that, and I was just going to have to try and work with the flat grey look and the high tide. I could see the weather working for the shot I hoped for however, so wasnt deterred. As soon as I was in position though, it seemed everything started to work against me. The best position to photograph the lifeboat house was right by a tall wall with a ledge that was just the right height to see over, but that was as far as my luck went. I couldnt work out which lens was best, as none seemed to do what I wanted – turns out I needed a lens in between the ones I owned (something that covers a 70mm-100mm focal range!) The wall itself proved to be a really complicated issue, with it being too high for the tripod, (even at its lowest position) and too low to work without one. It didnt help by forcing me to balance on a slim ledge while I worked either. I tried putting the camera directly on the wall, nope, it tipped downwards to the sea only. I tried propping the lens a little with all my drying cloths to get the house in position, then I couldnt see clearly enough to focus properly, because I was too high to view it without crouching (on a thin ledge remember). I tried handheld. That was a disaster, as I really struggle with that even in the best conditions. I tried all sorts, but simply couldn’t get my head around it! I just got myself rialed up and angry instead!

Then River began playing up. She ran off into the road eventually, resulting in me having to climb back down, tie her to a lampost and feeling really guilty for doing that. It started drizzling, so I then had to try and keep the lens dry (with the very cloths I was using to prop the lens up on) – off came my jacket (to use as a prop up tool instead) as I continued to fight with myself for this shot. Eventually it just out and out rained. I could feel a fierce temper rising inside, borne out of the feelings of complete frustration and inadequacy, and then I finally realised that today, this wasnt going to happen if I continued. Irritated with myself and River, and now completely angry and fed up, I packed everything away and stomped back to the camper in the foulest of moods. What I really needed to do was to just jump over the wall, and take the shot. But the rain, River, and a high tide all prevented me from doing that, so I left it before I ended up throwing stuff around!! On looking at the photos after the event, none of them are even in focus. I have absolutely NO idea why even THAT failed, as I was sure I had it pin sharp in the viewfinder. (probably where I couldnt see the screen properly now I think of it)

poor focus, too low, too high, and finally, rain… just a handful of the frustrations!

The South Pier lighthouse was equally uninspiring now the rain was here, so I decided to abandon the shoot altogether, leaving Wick completely. My mood was that low.

Once away from the area I paused to look at my map and have a sensible think about where I wanted to go from here. I thought I might try Whaligoe steps as my next destination, as I knew it wasnt too far, and that there were some lovely shots taken here by other photographers. If I was lucky, there may be parking there for the night so I could simply chill out and explore in the morning.

When I arrived I realised that parking was very limited…maybe 6-8 vehicles, less if big ones pulled in. As I had arrived later in the day, most tourists were already gone, so parking wasnt an issue for me thankfully. In the carpark I was met by local resident Davy (David Nicholson) If you have ever been to these steps I doubt very much if you missed this man! He is an absolute character, and we stood chatting for an absolute age, with him telling me all the history of the area, and the steps. He invited me over to his cottage (right by the steps) and pulled out a photo of his grandfathers boat, telling me what to look out for while I was down on the bink (the area where the fishermen pulled their fish and boats to) He excitedly filled me in with so many tiny facts, that by the time I went down the steps it was edging into evening, but I was too excited myself, to see all the little bits he had told me about! His manner is really joyful and infectious and it totally washed all the Wick frustrations away. I asked about staying overnight, and he really kindly told me to move the camper over to a residents spot, so that getting out in the morning after my photographic shoot would be far easier, then added that ‘if Jimmy asks, you are an old friend’. Apparently Jimmy tries to manage the car parking to mixed success, and he didnt want to see me getting stuck trying to get out. At that point Jimmy came over, and Davy immediately went into a big spiel about me being his old friend who he hadn’t seen for 6 years (giving me a massive wink) Playing along, I added ‘well lets make sure I dont wait another 6 years eh?!’ Jimmy nodded and walked away again. I moved the camper over then went down the steps. I totally forgot to bring the camera in my excitement, but sent a video to the family speaking in a very similar, excited manner to Davy, missing half the facts, and not finishing sentences where I was talking so fast. Davy knows how to entertain a crowd, and talk for England (Scotland??) thats for sure!!

I found this on you tube…seems everyone gets the same exciteable, informative chat!!

Once I had been down the steps, I was quite pleased to realise my climb back up all 339 steps went without too much effort (woo go me, I’m getting fitter!), and with a little daylight left, I thought I might try and see how to get to the end of the peninsular on the opposite side, as from there I knew you could see a waterfall. This wasn’t as easy as I hoped. The path from the carpark was really overgrown, and trying to find the stile Davy told me about, proved impossible. I walked round to the houses that fronted the peninsular and tried to find a route there. There was none. As I explored however, a man came out and asked if I needed any help. As we got chatting, he told me he was the landowner, and that for tomorrow, I could use his side gate, tho he was sure the stile from the car park was still there. (I did try a second look to no avail however) As we chatted, he told me his name was Sandy and that he was a farmer here, farming sheep, telling me a little more about the area. It was quite facinating to hear how his family lived in days gone by. We chatted for a while and as we did I found out that he only farms sheep for lamb these days, as wool didnt even bring enough money to cover the sheering of the sheep. I thought that was so sad to be part of a dying industry that I guess wool must be these days! I thanked him in advance for letting me use his gate, and went back to the camper, where Jimmy found me again. He looked a bit shifty, until he suddenly (and rather shyly) went ‘here you are!’ handing me a pack of cakes. ‘as you are a friend of Davy’s I thought you might like this to go with your tea’. Caught totally off guard, I thanked him as he scuttled quickly away, and I entered the van feeling really guilty.

All in all these 3 encounters cheered me up completely, ending the day on a far more positive note and I couldnt wait for the morning so I could shoot the waterfall and continue my adventure. And for those wondering how I didnt loose any weight with all this hiking… I blame Jimmy. ;-p

My Adventures

Noss Head Bay, Dunbeath Strath, Broch and Prisioners Leap

Scotlands Highlands 2020: Part Three

24 July 2020

Peaceful bays, Escaped prisioners, and perilous river crossings.. today was gonna be a good one!

This morning when I woke, I realised there was still no chance of a nice sunrise, so I had another fairly easy start. I looked at my map and wondered where I should go today. As I looked at it, I realised I had driven past a location I very much wanted to find, so thought that maybe I might backtrack a little and go back to Dunbeath. This would leave me the upper part of Caithness in one easier trip, rather than me driving back and forth, top to bottom.

Before I left here however, I was determined to find that little sandy bay I missed yesterday! There was no fog this morning, so my first port of call, was back out to the cliff face to find out where it was, and today it proved much easier to find. I walked/climbed down the equally steep slip way to the one I did yesterday, and when I finally got down to the beach bit, I was really, REALLY pleased I bothered. It was absolutely gorgeous, small, cute and SO incredibably peaceful! I guess this wasnt a regular beach for visitors, as it was so unspoiled, and other than one couple, River and I had it all to ourselves for the complete duration of my visit.

I had a little explore first, and River had a refreshing paddle in the gently lapping waves. There were more rocky outcrops, and the beach itself was made of a really interesting blend of yellow, red and black grains. Normally you only see one of these, so finding a beach with a mix, felt unusual – it was quite lovely to look at though. I found the rocks that curved out to sea to be the most interesting this morning, and wondered if a minimilist treatment might work here since they were far more picturesque than yesterdays ones. As I got the camera out, I became mindful of the tide. If it was coming in, I had to be aware of it because there was a chance I could get cut off from my exit route if I missed my timings! As it goes, the shot wasnt very inspiring because the tide was so gentle and didnt splash on the rocks in the way I envisioned. Its strange how a view can be gorgeous to the eye, but to the camera, it just doesnt quite work for you. In the end I tried to capture the one little area where the water seemed to flow over the rocks instead. Looking at the back of the camera I didnt feel too excited by what I was capturing and was not totally sure if the shot was any better than yesterdays one in the end, but I certainly had a lot of fun trying, perched up on some other rocks as I was!

Once I had tried a few different shots, I noticed that the tide was definately coming, in, and I was also aware that Dunbeath was calling. I had seen only one or two shots of the exact area I was looking for online, so wasnt totally sure how to find the specific spot. Without that knowledge, I didnt know how long it would take me to find either, so I decided that I should head off, quite excited at the prospect of trying to explore a location! This bay however, would easily be one I might try again. maybe focussing on the dramatic diagonal of the rock striations next time?

The prisioners leap at Dunbeath has a great story. Legend has it that way back in the day, an Ian McCormack Gunn was held prisioner by the Clan Keith at Forse Castle, some 6-7 miles away. He escaped and ran as far as the gorge at Dunbeath with the Keiths hot on his tail. Once there, he was trapped, so they jeered their taunt of ‘jump, Jump!’ then he was told, rather mockingly, that if he could jump the gorge he would earn his freedom. I assume they thought that one way or other, this man would be no further bother after today, fully expecting him to die of course… It IS quite a leap – but I guess Gunn had little choice but to either try, or die by the sword. So he jumped… and miraculously, made it to freedom.

Aside from the story, the location had struck me as stunning in one particular photo that I had found by photographer Gordon Mackay. I desperately hoped to find the same spot, and some 50 minutes or so later I was parked up in a small carpark by the old mill at Dunbeath, and excitedly preparing to follow the walk up. I had found a walking guide online (walkhighlands.co.uk – my new best friend!) that apparently went to the leap, and was hoping to follow that. In theory this should be pretty easy. The walk was lovely, as was the weather! The sun was now beaming down on me as I walked alongside the river flowing down the strath, and the peace was so perfect I couldnt help but stop and take a few photos on the way. (including the header pic) Before long the path turned into a little track, then into a well trodden trail. It took me over a bridge, past a turn off to a broch, and then through some gorgeous trees, that I now know were Rowan, Hazel and Birch. I dont know my trees, but together this section was so full of character, that I kind of regret not stopping to take a picture. I have no clue how to shoot woodland effectively though, so just left it for my eyes to enjoy. I continued on, and then the internet suddenly cut out. Thankfully, I had memorised the next bit, but it had me concerned that I might not find the spot I was desperately looking for. As I reached the end of my memorised bit, the internet briefly came back, so I quickly did a couple of screen shots of the instructions to the remainder of the route and ventured on with greater confidence. Eventually the route started a steep climb, and I found myself at the top of the gorge looking at the likely spot of Gunn’s leap. From here I doubted his success.. it looked like quite a stretch!

Prisioners Leap viewpoint from the top, where Gunn is likely to have jumped

I pulled up the photo I hoped to capture for myself, looked down at the river and tried to work out the spot that Mackay had stood, realising to my disappointment that he was likely on the other side of the river. I had two choices, give up, or cross. Like Gunn… I opted to cross. Well… I was here wasnt I?! Soooo.. Should I jump…??? Errrmmm…maybe not! (well… you now, I had the dog and all…)

I hiked back down, and timidly struggled over to the other side of the river. At points it reached well above my ankles, and was fairly fast moving water, so I was very grateful for the choice of wearing my new hiking wellies. River crossed dutifully behind me, but she didnt seem altogether confident – once over she was much happier however. We walked for a bit up the other side then realised we couldnt get any further because of an ajoining river this side, and a deep pool. I looked at River, apologised, then proceeded to cross the river again… then when passed that point.. crossed a third time. I started to struggle a little. It seemed that no matter what I tried, I couldnt marry up the shot Mackay had taken to the area I was walking in. I eventually found myself back on the original side again, close to the gorge. Whilst here I spotted a gorgeous reflection in the water. I was having a break for a snack, a drink and a think, so I decided to take this photo before trying to continue looking for the other spot – it was rather eyecatching!

We rested a bit longer before I tried the crossing yet again, and made my way up on the other side until I was directly underneath the place where Gunn had likely jumped. It had also started getting to a point where River thought she couldnt manage the climbs, and was very reluctant to try swimming in other parts, so kept crying until she realised she could do it after all. I chuckled as she overcame her fears, because it was clear she was more than capable! When we found ourselve underneath the leap point, I looked up at the sight. As I did, I thought that perhaps this jump, legend or not, might actually have been possible after all. Not easy – but possible!! The distance across didnt seem quite as great from down here as it was from the top. For River and I down here however, it became clear I wasn’t going to get any further. Both sides of the gorge were now steep without any chance of walking/climbing points either side, and there were deep, fast moving pools lining the cliff edges of both sides. I couldnt understand this… where WAS this photo taken then?! I sat for a bit gathering my thoughts, and looked at the picture yet again… and then I spotted it. The water wasnt coming towards me in the photo… it was going away! This was taken from the other side of the gorge completely!!!! (DUH!!!) I looked up the gorge, following the river with my eyes, and immediately managed to spot where Mackay had stood… a nice, clear, easy spot… but from here, there was no way I was going to get there. I was gutted!!

I remembered that when I had stood at the top looking across, there was a meadow with a clear trodden trail on it. THATS where he must have come from! With no idea where he might have started the trail, I decided to backrack and head back up the hill to where I had turned around. Maybe I could find a spot round from up there? I climbed it all the way back to the top again, and followed a wire fence along away from the river. This led me to a private road with a huge gate across it and a smaller kissing gate next to that. Going through there I followed the road for a bit, suddenly aware of how exhausted I felt. I tried to cut across the hill, but it seemed to go into some more of the hazel/birch/rowan trees, to another steep drop, and another river. I looked at the distance, and had to stop for a rethink. I could go back to the road and continue following it even more, but I had no idea how far it would go before it led past the second river, a way down, AND all the way back to the gorge. I was already exhausted, could I realistically get all the way down there and back to the camper again easily?? My sensible head took over. No. I was totally on my knees already. I’d (stupidly) brought no food or drinks with me, so had no source to replenish my energy. Very sadly I sat for a bit, and decided that I would have to do this trek another day. For now, I’d had an awesome time, but I was really just TOO tired to keep pushing forward, and I didnt want to spoil such a great day.

Rather than just go back the way I had come however, I looked on google maps which thankfully had a good signal up here, and it seemed there might be an easy route back following this road. So River and I trudged at a much slower ‘Sandyplod’ speed back along here. I kept checking my position on Google maps, feeling like this road was endless, but eventually I found my turn off, and cut across a field towards Dunbeath Broch, which I knew had a route back to the original path I had taken. When I found myself at the Broch, I was quite taken aback. I had seen some of these in my research, and tho interesting, they hadnt quite caught my imagination enough for me to plot any of them onto my map. To be fair, there are hundreds in Caithness, so I had an inkling I would likely pass some on my routes regardless. I clearly wasnt wrong. This one however, still had a lot of bricks in place, and had had some repairs done to give a better idea of what I was looking at. The circle of the lower part of this tower was still pretty much clear, and signs of where a second floor might have been, an entry point, a small guard cell, and back chamber were all clearly visible. Given this was an iron age structure (historians seem torn as to their actual purpose) I felt this was really well preserved. It peaked my attention and I had an interesting time exploring the ruin, reading about the changes it had experienced over time, and finding out about the preservation they had been doing to keep what is left, safe enough for people to explore.

Dunbeath Broch, an Iron age round house or tower.

The exploration was pretty restful, so once I had seen enough, I felt energised enough to get myself back to Fred and a well earned cup of tea!! As I sat drinking it, I pondered my next options, and decided that rather than cook, it might be nice to try some local fish and chips. The next port of call for me was Wick Lifeboat house tomorrow, so it seemed sensible for me to go Wick for the takeaway, and for the night, in readiness for a possible dawn shot there. I had no idea where the sun would rise, but it seemed like a good plan at least. The drive was very chilled, and I found the takeaway easily in the harbour, opting to have a ‘fish supper’ and to try one of the rather infamous ‘battered mars bars’ as a desert on top! (Ohhh YUMMY indeed!|!) THAT was interesting… warm and gooey is the best description there…and rather oddly, the batter complimented the chocolate! The food was really tasty, and the portion huge. Lucky too, because I was ravenous!

After eating, I found a spot for the night, parked up behind another motorhome, and went for a short walk to explore the area I was in. On my return I collapsed into bed for a very well earned sleep!

Today felt amazing.

My Adventures

Noss Head Lighthouse, Geo bay and Castle Sinclair Girnigoe

Scotlands Highlands 2020: Part Two

23 July 2020

I woke up at 4am to the sound of rain. Glanced outside. No chance of sunrise. I went back to sleep.

What a good start!! Actually the sound of rain on the camper roof was really, REALLY soothing, so going back to sleep was incredibably easy. Also, without any pretty sunrise sky, I could do so without feeling any guilt. I am prone to inflicting guilt on myself, as are many of us I guess. Its a weird thing we do to ourselves, and I had many conversations with myself about the pointless ideas, ideals and emotions I had unnessessarily forced upon myself over this trip. Hopefully with all that admonishment I have learned a thing or two about being kinder to myself…

Anyway, when I eventually did get up, It looked grim, and visibility was poor, so I was very reluctant. I made myself breakfast, and a cuppa, and having a pretty chill start really. The time came eventually however, when I finally made myself go out. Intitally it was just for a walk to look at Noss Lighthouse, which was also on this site… but after one look of the misty light house, I hurried back to get my camera. Why on earth was I being so silly? I should be looking for a shot, not just waiting for one to jump out at me… and if it didnt work? So what? Its the experience of looking that I was hoping to learn, on top of reminding myself of some of the basics. Here I go again, telling myself off…

What drew my attention, wasnt just the lighthouse, faded a little in the now rising mist, it was actually the really pretty grasses in front of it, heads hung with the weight of the water droplets that dripped from them. I thought I might try a low shot, taking in the grass as a featured foreground, having the lighthouse, almost as a second thought in the background. I wasnt altogether sure whether the idea would work, but it was worth a try at least. I was kinda shocked that I was actually thinking this through… thats not a normal trick of mine! I took several shots, both in Landscape and Portrait orientation, (but I much preferred the portrait ones) then I tried 3 different focal positions, foreground, mid, and background so that I could attempt a photoshop merging with everything in focus front to back. The merge didnt come out too bad for a first attempt, although, in future I probably need to make more focal points if there are a group of plants. It didnt come out 100% sharp in a few areas between the focused areas. but its good enough for a first effort I think!

Mists lifting off the Noss Head Lighthouse

After that I wandered around in the mist, (which had dropped again and reduced visibility quite considerably) looking for a sandy bay that was apparently here. I entered a field, but really struggled to see very far, so abandoned that search for now. I didn’t quite feel up to blindly walking off a cliff this early in my trip! As I headed over towards the castle, I got sidetracked by a little bay I thought might be it after all. It seemed a little steep getting down at first, but in hindsight, I suspect it was just me not used to the outdoors after such a long time in lockdown! There wasnt much to see down there really, and it certainly wasnt the bay I was thinking of, with no sand at all and the view narrowing down because of the high cliff edges. The sight in front of me only showed a small rocky area further out in the ocean. It was completely facinating to see all the layers of rock though, layed down in some long distance past and highlighted by the light hitting all the seperated levels. Little critters scuttled in among the crevaces, and I spotted what looked to be a giant Woodlouse, about the size of my index finger scurring to hide as I got near (eek!!!) I also spotted dense spider webs in several areas, which surprised me. I didnt think they would build those in such a damp area, which may well be under water as the tide came in. Slightly creeped out (not a bug person!!) I decided to focus on trying to get a photo instead.

With such a restricted view, I thought I would try a fine art type of minimilast slow exposure shot. I really like these, I think they are just beautiful, and could hang on any wall without issue. What a dream to be able to perfect that style myself. But it all starts with the landscape of course and I thought that this might possibly work. I took several shots trying to get it right, but was very unsure whether this rock was interesting enough in the end. I vowed to try some other locations as the trip progressed, perhaps I could find the dream rocky outcrop somewhere else if this didnt work for me. I did chuckle at one shot with two young seagulls just staring at me though, and wondered whether I might be able to merge a shot with them still in. This was also something I hadnt really had much experience in, but I thought it might be worth considering at the time.

As I finished these photos, I spotted River laying on the boulders behind me, and felt terrible. She was shivering quite heavily, and hadnt bothered me one bit while I was working. I immediately packed everything up, and we climbed back out. Instead of going to the Castle, I thought she should get in the warm for a bit, so I went back to the camper for a warm cuppa, some lunch, and for both of us to get out of the wet for a bit. To be fair once she got moving she seemed much happier, but I felt much better if I gave her a little break from the cold.

After a bit, the sun started coming out and the mist finally lifted for good, so I changed into dry clothing and ventured out to the castle for a second go. There were quite a few tourists there by now so I decided to just walk along the cliff edge to see the view from there. I met a sweet young chinese chap and we chatted for a while. Seems he was very well travelled for a man his age, (just about to go to uni in Europe) but his journey had halted here when we went into lockdown and he hadnt managed to get home, or anywhere else, in months. Like me, Scotland was his bid to get out with a camera. It was this young man that gave me the now familiar ‘ What? You are on your own? Thats quite brave!’ question/statement, only here I was able to express that I was no braver than he was with his global travel, which he understood as a fair comparison. After we had taken a few photos of this viewpoint together, he wandered off to the castle, and I walked over to a nice viewpoint of the Lighthouse, and the rocky stack near it. (see Header Pic)

Castle Sinclair Girnigoe from the cliffs

Once I was done there, I finally wandered back over to the castle. There were still several tourists milling over the site, so I narrowed my vision, taking a photo of an interesting derelict window that really grabbed me. As I continued round the edge, I took several more pictures, patiently waiting for people to clear the frames, and I ended up in a corner surrounded by tall grass. River loved wandering through this, and I was reminded that I needed to keep an eye open for tics, and to treat her with some nice smelly repellant mix before coming out. Perched in the tight corner, I changed lenses to a wide, and somehow lost my lens cap in the process. When I had taken the shot, I searched everywhere, confused how it could have disappeared so easily. In the end I gave up. There was another grey cloud coming, and I really wanted a shot from a further perspective before that cloud decided to relieve itself of its load on top of me! I continued the walk round, and found a nice spot after trudging through lots more tall grass. It occurred to me that during lockdown, without tourists to tread well worn paths, nature had been given a bit of a breather, and as such, many little people paths may well be absent while I continue this adventure. Thats going to be interesting! The shot from my final position was quite nice, but would definately be better with some interesting light, so I made a mental note of that for future reference for a return trip sometime.

I finally decided to stop there for the evening. The cloud was looking more and more grim, and I didnt want to get wet again. My drying spaces in Fred were limited, and I had no idea how long drying might take so I definately didnt want to add to the problem just yet – instead, lets get these wet socks sorted first….

My Adventures

Achnambeithach Cottage, Corpach and Castle Sinclair Girnigoe

Scotlands Highlands 2020: Part One

22nd July 2020

The adventure begins! A month to tour the highlands, what will it bring?!

With Daughter all settled into her new digs in Glasgow, it was time to leave for the Big Tour! Using the NC500 route as a basic starter for all the locations I was hoping to try and find, all I had to decide was which way to do it. East or West. I actually had no idea, so decided to try and retrace my steps from a family holiday from back in 2012, in the hope of identifying a loch I had photographed that I desperately wanted to re find. I wanted to retake this picture as a RAW file, so that I could enjoy a better quality version. This meant that if I started in Fort William, and drove towards John O’ Groats, I would hopefully recreate the route I took back then and come across it. As it goes, I didnt, so that mystery remains unsolved, and I am still confused by where it might be! – but at least it gave me a start. East to West, with Caithness being the first Highland county to cover.

Unknown Scottish Loch captured in 2012. I hoped to find this! I didnt… 🙁

As I got to Fred, I picked up a bit of litter by his front wheel, and saw it was a £20 note (!!) so this felt like a fantastic start to the day… yes it was raining, but it didnt bother me one bit. Off I headed, with a big happy and excited grin on my face. The drive was easy, with some lovely sights by Loch Lamond (I really need to work out what that big stunning waterfall is that you can see across the Loch between the trees), and before I really knew it, I was driving through Glencoe. I had had a pretty grim time here in January, but I felt no bitterness or reluctance to visit here again, tho it didnt look much different today from how I left it back then!! Only the strong winds were absent. I drove past a little white building I didnt notice before, with a gorgeous reflection in the loch next to it, and I imagined the shot in my head, then the edited version, then I stopped myself. Why on earth was I only thinking this?!! I was on no time limit, or restrictions of any kind, so I stopped the camper, turned round, and went back to actually take the photo!

With the weather having been so poor last time, it was probable that I hadnt noticed this beautiful reflection, so when I stopped at a good parking spot, I took the dog and my kit out, and walked back to it. I found it to be a very enjoyable walk and beautiful sight.

I didnt know it at the time, but this was Achnambeithach Cottage, one of the cottages I had been trying to locate when I first visited Glengoe. I had gotten confused, and mixed the name up with what I now realise was the equally photographic Lagangarbh hut. Achnambeithach Cottage dates back to around the 1900, but I can find nothing else about it! Is it a home? is it a rented holiday cottage? is it a bothy? I will have to see if anyone else knows!! Whatever its history, this area was SO peaceful today, that I took some time to just stand and take the scene in before I picked a couple of spots to take some pictures. As I started to set up the tripod and camera, I framed up and took the scene in again, before turning to River to say ‘isnt this just the most beautiful sight?’ to find my dog nowhere to be seen. In a slight panic, I strained my eyes looking in every direction, fearful she might have wandered to the road while my attention was diverted. I stopped and really considered the options, then realised I needn’t have worried – I just needed to look at the obvious spot…and sure enough a moment later I saw where she had gone. My perfect flat reflection started to slowly disappear in a growing cascade of ripples coming from one spot. Aha… there’s water – and if this dog loves one thing over anything else… its water.

Hmmnn… I wonder where the dog has gone…??

I snapped the shot quickly before the ripples affected my framing and called her name. A second later her head popped up from behind the reeds and she bounded back to me all happy and dripping. I kept her near me while I took some other shots, and prayed hard that the cloud would lift just a little to reveal a hint of the mountain behind. When it did, just for a couple of minutes, I really felt my luck was in, and finished when both a truck pulled up outside the cottage, and the cloud started decending again. I walked down to the waters edge, and allowed River a proper swim until she was happy. This felt like a good start.

From there I drove to Corpach, just a bit north of Fort William and had a look at 2 shots I hoped to take here. The boat was as boring to me as the photos I had seen, and had lots of people milling around it. However, as a ‘bucket shot collector’ I knew this was one I would need to pick up on. I saw a nice possible shot by the nearby waterfall which I’d not seen before in photos (or hadnt noticed it) so was pleasantly surprised to see it. As I tried potential shots with my phone, I realised I would need to navigate weeds and chicken wire holding rocks in place, but thought I might be able to make something of it if the light and tide were right. I also found the little lighthouse/pier bit, and worked out how to get the nicest viewpoint. I found the spot but was disappointed to see there was building work going on, so diggers, and fencing, and piles of hard core littered the view. This might spoil the final image I hoped to get in time, but I would just have to work with it, or come back another time completely. I decided I would try again on my way back through at the end, as right now both shots needed a high tide for the best view anyway (or one that wasnt fully out as it was right now), and the light was looking pretty flat and lacking. I noted it all, along with a good parking spot for them and went back to the camper.

I pointed the sat nav to John O’Groats, and started the drive to Caithness to start the first leg of this trip proper. I hoped to pass the loch I was looking for so drove back through Fort William, around Loch Ness to Inverness, and all the way up the coast road towards Wick. I didnt see it anywhere along that stretch, but loved the coastal views that I had going this way. The temptatation to keep stopping was huge, but I kept going very mindful of the time and my aim to cover each county in turn, rather than darting between several. I hadnt really thought of a specific location I wanted to start with, and as I approached Wick I saw the time was getting on, so plumped for Castle Sinclair Girnigoe. I picked this simply because it was out of a town, and more likely to have a parking spot where I might be able to rest up after the long drive. I got there easily enough, but it was nearly 9pm by the time I arrived, so after parking up, I decided to just stretch my legs with River, and simply scout the location for this evening. If I was lucky, there may be a nice sunrise that would give the ruin a nice glow in the morning. The castle was very easy to get to, and really nice to look at with several boards showing how it used to look in its day, and giving a good idea of the history of this place. I read each one, and walked all over the location, finding some nice points of view that offered a variety of shots. As I did so, I realised the sun was setting, and that it might actually be visible from under the blanket of clouds, with some colour off to the far horizon. Gutted I hadnt brought my main camera, I took what I could with my mobile and hoped the file size on this new phone would be good enough to work with. It seems the castle had a warm glow after all!

capturing the last bit of the setting sun at Castle Sinclair Girnigoe

Back to the camper for some well earned food and sleep followed and noting a couple of other campers here, I felt safe. With my first night on the road, my latest adventure began.

Tutorial

Planning, Prep and my Self Challenge

There once was a time when I would just get a call for a job, and I would head off into the sunset and wing the trip. This often meant I had no clue what I was heading for other than a few basic ideas and I missed a ton of opportunities at what might have otherwise been awesome locations and conditions!

To some, (to many photographers actually), this might have been perfect, but I am, sadly, not a natural explorer and as such, just wandering off into the great unknown poses me a lot of problems, inner termoil and stress. Dont get me wrong – I will happily wander on my own on a hike… but I seem to only be able to do so if I know a destination – so a big 8 hour hike is fine, but only if I know the end goal. Where I am not at all observant, this adds an additional restriction of simply not seeing things, so again, knowing what I am looking for, is a massive help. I am hoping that, in time, a growing confidence and skill set will help me get over all this. (There has been the odd occasion showing this might be happening already, so I feel hopeful that I may be able to explore proper as things progress). For now, I just dont feel confident enough to venture forward in this way… yet.

Some time ago, I watched a video by french photographer Serge Ramelli, and one of his suggestions when starting out, was to set yourself a personal project. As it goes, I had the perfect one. For Christmas I had been given a scratch off map of the UK. It was a present to celebrate me buying my first camper, and to encourage me out to see the country (as I have yet to brave international travel!!) When I didnt have a job, I could go to a different county and visit there. My only rule, was that I had to visit at least 3 different areas of any one county before I could scratch it off… and its proved to be a fantastic way of getting me to explore a new area. I just need to do this in a way that doesn’t clash with my psychological restrictions.

So I plan. My Skye trip was the first trip that I planned out. I didnt plan a day by day itenerary, but I made myself a little booklet of 16 possible locations, and decided to let the weather, and where I had parked for the night, dictate which ones I would visit. This proved to be a huge success, and the trip was my most successful one at that point. I am now planning two new trips, and since I have adapted my technique a bit, and learned more about searching out elusive locations, I thought I would share how I do this with you. My trips can now be planned anytime, and stored safely in a way that if I get a last minute call taking me somewhere new, I may already have some locations that I can pull up at any time. This isnt just a photography technique I am developing, its good for any visit, work or holiday, that might bring me to a new place where I might have cause to search out whats there.

So. to start. I signed up to Googles’ My Maps. My new best friend. I also got the app on my phone, signed to the same account. This meant that no matter where I am, if I see anything that inspires me, I can now note it immediately, and mark it on the map for future reference. Anything I plot onto the map on my pc at home will show up on my phone instantly, so I dont have to print any more booklets, the information will always be at my fingertips. As my County challenge is in smaller areas, I can even have a different map for each county ready for a visit. I can always add more locations to each map as I go along, there is no ‘finished’ map as such, so revisits, and new areas to see will all be together, and easy to identify.

Next up will be hunting the sources of the inspiration. Actually this is my favourite bit. My search can start with a simple image, idea, job offer in a new location, something I spot in a video, or simply, ‘I havent been to this county yet… whats there?’. From there the search starts and I simply follow the rabit hole to all the different spots it takes me.

First experience of planning… my 2019 Skye booklet

I will give you an example. I have been spotting a number of images on Instagram of a really interesting rock formation on a coast in Scotland. I had seen it a few times, but didnt note its name. Then by pure chance, I stumbled across a You Tube video ( https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6qn6gOyqDxo ) of a chap (Imran) photographing it, and it really intregued me enough to note its name. Bow Fiddle Rock. I found out where it was, and noted it in my little county book that I had been keeping to facilitate my county challenge. Should I ever get to Moray, That was first on my list. Some time went past, when I stumbled across a fab lady photographer and vlogger, Kim Grant, and in watching one of her videos, saw a really interesting cave behind her when she discussed Portknockie. This was also in Moray. It got added to the Moray list… and so it grows.

Fast forward to now and my current plan. Daughter is changing her student digs, and boyfriend is moving in with her, can I drive his stuff up and help move as soon as lockdown allows? Glasgow here I come…!!! Ohhhh, but hang on… as I have no work at present, why dont I simply turn this into a huge photographic trip? Initially, as British lockdown ended earlier than Scottish, I intended to move her in, drop down to Northumberland for 10 days, and then go back up to Scotland to do a further 2 weeks touring up there. I really wanted to get the Highlands scratched off my map! So, I started searching locations for the two areas. (Sadly, flat after flat fell through, so the plan didnt quite come to pass as I initially hoped.. but it did give me more and more time to add locations to my Highlands My Maps)

So, for this trip, I started with google images and the simple request ‘places to photograph in…’ a whole bunch of images started to cross my path, some interesting to me, many not. I looked at the places that caught my eye, and started plotting them on my map. I then followed the images I liked, and found them from a variety of sources, Instagram, Flickr, photo libraries, You Tube videos, photographers portfolios, trip advisor, hiking sites, even fishing sites – there are so many more too! By clicking on an image I liked, I found myself following leads from each site that led me to yet more locations that I could add to my list. Then there was google maps itself. when I looked at a location that looked bereft of markers, I could zoom in and see if I could literally spot anything that might look intreguing, if I did, I typed it in to see if anyone, anywhere might have tagged the spot to help me see it any clearer (quite often, local village groups). Then there were Googles own markers with little cameras on – mostly just average pictures of random dogs or food available nearby, but some gave me some ideas I might want to investigate. The rabbit hole seemed endless!!!

Slowly, my maps grew from a couple of locations to over 70 in the highlands! More than enough to keep me going for a LOOONNNGGG time, and a fantastic variety of subjects. Knowing my post covod fitness level, I couldnt consider any long, strenuous mountain hikes, but I know there are even more options for those shots I could add if I wanted to. (There is one I really would love to do though…..*ponders the idea*….)

Scotland locations map growing daily – and now I add my own photos and notes to visited locations for future reference.

As I plotted each site on the My Maps app, I could add a screen grabs, website details, hints and tips, my own notes and even hiking instructions… anything that might help me find the locations that I had been researching. The app on the pc immediately added it all to the app on my phone, so I have it all when I am on the move. As time goes on, I will replace the yellow ‘I want to go here’ marker with a green ‘been here!’ one, and I can change the screen grabs to my own photos and my personal notes for future reference… or, indeed, for others to follow in time. My excitement at looking at these maps really helps build anticipation, and the love of the hunt absolutely thrills me. I added my Skye sites, and the Glencoe ones I had noted on scraps of paper.. and my map grew and grew!

So, for the trip that should start any week now, there is a downside. On the Scotish part (not sure if Northumberland will come off just yet), many of the locations are on the NC500… a long route of around 516 miles that ring the highlands, and as such they are largely bucket shots. This may be a two fold issue. One, the NC500 will be packed with tourists keen to get out at last, and the narrow roads will be hard to navigate if I keep crossing paths with other motorhomes, and two, where they are such popular bucket shots, everywhere will be targets for those same tourists. Getting people free images may be a huge issue. A bucket shot, by the way, if you dont know it, is one that you dream of shooting if you are a photographer, or a shot that you have seen that you desperately want to emulate or recreate in your own way. For a tourist, its place they have spotted somewhere, and simply want to go to see for themselves.. On the flip side, my list is now in my phone…I can visit any time. The locations, on the whole, arnt going anywhere… so what I cant get on this trip, I can try another time. I suspect I need to consider this trip as a reccie, rather than a full on shooting expedition, just so that I can judge how I might like to try these shots myself when I can get them (sunset? sunrise? spring? winter? misty, moody or bright and cheerful??)

A final note. As I write this Thomas Heaton has just released a video covering his tips for planning. He does point out one very big issue with my method of doing things right now… that the problem with going with pre planned images or copies of those taken by someone else, is that you will very, VERY rarely get the same conditions as any photograph you try to emulate. If you set yourself up to take THAT shot, you are setting yourself up for disappointment and failure. He is 100% correct with this point… so if you follow what I am currently doing, do NOT expect to see or take the same images as any of those you may have saved for a reference. The landscape will be how it will be, when you get there, I have no illusions about that when I compile my self guide. You shouldnt either. The screen captures I have plotted, are starting points on what might be possible, and when I get to each of these, thats when I will try to put my stamp on things, or make notes for a revisit.

I cant wait to see what I might find!!!