Roadtrip – Page 2 – Knightshoots Landscape Photography

Buachaille Etive Mor, Ralston’s Cairn, Glencoe Lochan and Kinlochleven

Scotlands Highlands 2020: Part Twenty Five

17 August 2020

This morning I hoped to get a very well known shot, that I had already tried in January. To be fair the January shot was really nice and moody, but I wanted a day where there was a full mountain and sun shining on the waterfall in front of it, and indeed, hopefully on the mountain itself. I wanted a happy and cheerful version of the photo instead… Today I was aiming to get the Buachaille Etive Mor waterfall shot I had been dreaming of.

When I awoke, the sun was flicking in and out of the clouds and I felt content that this would be perfect for what I hoped. I gently sorted myself out, had a bit of breakfast, a cup of tea, and left to finally get my shot just before 9. River and I made our way over to the prime shooting spot, and as I approached, I was rather surprised to see that it was photographer free – well that’s a real rarity – but it would mean I would have the place to myself and I would be able to move around freely! Then I looked up skywards, and noticed that the cloud had started to build. I might have been just that little bit too slow getting here, I sadly realised… but the sun did keep trying behind me, and I could see the mountain was clear at least. I wasn’t going to give up hope just yet! – until I got closer however, when I was totally surprised at the sight… there was no water at all!!! I laughed, and looked at River ‘well that explains the lack of photographers here doesn’t it?!’ As if the sun heard me, and wanted to stick its tongue out, it then bathed the Buachaille in beautiful swathes of dappled light. Well you can’t have everything, right? I took those pictures just to remind myself that the sun does shine here, and packed everything back up. I sense that Glencoe will be having a trip entitled ‘take 3’! Lol.

A very moody Buachaille Etive Mor in Jan 2020…

…today though, there was no water in the falls!

I didn’t think much further here, and just went back to the camper. Had I of really thought about it, I could have followed the river along a little, and maybe gotten an entirely different shot. Although I didn’t quite see it from my vantage point, the water hadn’t gone entirely, and I could hear the river flowing in the distance. Oh well, hindsight is a wonderful thing and all that…

Yesterday was about finding a thing I missed on my January visit. Another location I’d missed, was Ralston’s Cairn. It wasn’t too far from here, and after the January trip I had researched its location better, and a parking spot for it, for the future. So today, since the falls had been a bust, I decided that the future was here, and that I would go take a hike to find it. I pulled up at the singular parking spot, which, thankfully, was empty, and readied myself for an uphill hike. I used Google maps to try and find the exact position of the cairn, since it was on there with one of their markers, although I knew from other photos online roughly where it was. I hiked up, following Google until I saw a small building. It had marked this as the cairn, but it definitely wasn’t here. I had a little explore instead, then wandered around a slightly wider area in an attempt to find it. Using a photo I had on my phone, I tried to line up landmarks and wandered up and down in the area for a bit, until I nearly gave up – then I saw it. It was lower than I was, lower than the building marked, and a bit further down than the map had indicated. In fact, it wasn’t far from the start and I had overshot it by quite a bit! I went over and sat down nearby resting and just taking the view from here in thoroughly. On any other day it might have been an absolutely stunning view, but for me right now the cloud had taken root, and there was no sunlight picking out the scenery in front of me. That doesn’t mean to say that it wasn’t still breathtaking however!

View of the Glencoe valley from Ralston’s Cairn

Because the scenery was pretty flat, I thought I would just try to blur it out a little and get the cairn in crisp focus so that it was clearly the point of the image. I thought I would at least try and be a bit creative and deliberate in my shot(!) This wasn’t something I had really tried before, but I wanted the view to still be there, just not as the main subject. It would have been very easy for me to snap a photo taking the whole view in, and if it had been dappled in patches of sunlight I probably would have done that. For now however, I put my aperture onto the widest open that I could (f2.8 on this lens) and took this shot. I can see that it hasn’t blurred the background as much as I hoped though. For those not camera techy, setting the aperture to the smallest number will ‘open’ the lens up to its fullest. This does two things – it lets in a lot more light (so you have to adjust other settings to ensure its not too bright) and it restricts the area of focus. (also called the depth of field) Now, I really struggle to understand the camera settings, and no matter how many times I think I get it, I forget it all very quickly – but this effect almost worked – so maybe some is slowly sinking in after all! I suspect it wasn’t quite as blurry as I hoped in the distance because the subject that I was using to focus on (the cairn) wasn’t as close to the lens as it needed to be for a stronger effect on the deeper background. But if I had been right up close to the cairn, the balance of the photo wouldn’t have been what I wanted either, so this may have to do I think. Of course I may be totally wrong about all this… an experiment trying other ideas will show me otherwise I guess… (or someone advising me of course!)

Ralstons cairn, by the way, is a fairly new one. Its in memory of Ralston Claud Muir, who died suddenly, aged just 32, on 10 January 2000 from a rare form of leukaemia that he didn’t know he had. He loved to climb in the Glen, and his family and friends decided to have his ashes remain here forever, so he would never be far from the area he loved so much. On the marker it says “These are my mountains and I have come home. Ralston” The number of photos taken here, at this exact spot, are a reminder of why he loved this place so much, and will keep both this love and his memory very much alive. I was so very pleased to have finally found it, and sat having a short chat with him before finally making my way back down to Fred – a walk which revealed just how much closer to the start point it actually was.

It was 1.30 by now, so I wondered what I should consider doing next… I had visited Glencoe Lochen in January, but they had drained it at the time to do some urgent repair works. I wasn’t sure if they had finished it (as I couldn’t remember what their timescale was), but I assumed it would be a long job. I decided to go and visit here anyway, just to take a look, and started the drive. Somehow I took a wrong turn and was driving for over half an hour simply enjoying the views over what I now realise was Loch Leven, before I spotted my mistake. I turned back, found the parking spot I had hoped for and went for a gentle stroll around the circuit with River. After the woodland segment of the walk, I reached the lochen to realise that the water had been completely filled again, that it was looking stunning, and that even this late in the day, the water was incredibly still. The cloud had lifted a little in the hour I had been driving, and I was blessed with the odd burst of light across the whole scene. (see header photo) Agh!! I didn’t have my kit with me!! I pondered for a few minutes, but I really couldn’t be bothered to go all the way back for my camera, so I took out my mobile and settled on shots with that instead. The view from a little jetty looked particularly gorgeous this afternoon, and at least I now knew that the work here was all finished and that it would be good for next time right…?

Glencoe Lochen. Fully filled, and looking stunning. A huge difference to January

This was about the walk Sandy… just the calm, peaceful walk… don’t look at it all too closely… enjoy the WALK!!! I was actually fuming with myself that I hadn’t brought my full kit, despite the pep talk – but looking skyward, it was clear that the break in the cloud was only ever going to be fleeting. By the time I had gotten all the way to the camper, and then back here again, this would surely not look like this. Or so I told myself anyway… I don’t know it convinced me however. The walk was wonderful, and despite my frustrations with myself, It was lovely to walk around somewhere beautiful without the weight on my back.

When I left here, it was to go to my final overnight spot, and to be in position for my last morning shot. I had plenty of time now, because I was just thinking of simply going back to park up ready, and relaxing for the evening. As I had the extra time on my hands, I decided to follow the pretty view I had mistakenly taken just before getting here. I paused for a quick stop in Kinlochleven, the village at the top of Loch Leven, when I saw what I thought were big gushing falls into the river that led into the Loch. As I explored I realised it wasn’t a waterfall, but a man made structure, releasing water from something being used much further upstream. I found a board that told about there being a dam further into the hills at Loch Eilde Mor. It said that the demand for Aluminium had grown so rapidly during the first world war that 1200 German POW’s and 500 British soldiers were brought in to build a pipeline from the dam to another – the Blackwater Dam, 5 miles away – to help increase water to the hydro scheme. I wonder if this is the run off from anything to do with that or the Aluminium smelter?

I tried to get closer to see if there was a shot here, but realised fairly quickly that I needed to plan this in properly to be able to work the scene. The flow out was quite chaotic, and the little spur of pebbled bank didn’t really lend itself to a nice enough foreground to balance the power of the gushing water. I went from there to the main bridge, and noticed that behind the commercial wastewater (??) there was the possibility of another shot with a little wooden foot bridge, a small weir (?) and some very gently flowing river. I was feeling too tired to go back and explore further though, so I snapped a photo on my phone, and left it there for today. This tiredness had been building clearly, as it was twice now that I had not bothered this afternoon. The ‘not bothered’ mood struck again very shortly afterwards, when I spotted a small sign pointing the way to a waterfall near where I had parked up. The Grey Mare’s waterfall was somewhere nearby clearly, although I couldn’t hear it from here, and I had no idea how far a hike might take me. Did I want to investigate… did I?…did I? I knew it wasn’t on my map as I had never heard of this one and I pondered it for a bit I wont lie, but was I feeling quite exhausted, so took a photo of the sign to remind me to look it up… and I left it for now instead.

Water at Kinlochleven. Run off from of the hydroelectric scheme?

As I drove towards Corpach, I suddenly realised how hungry I was too, (had I eaten anything since my light breakfast??) so I stopped off for something at the Fort William MacDonald’s drive through. I am not usually a fan of burgers, but I was so hungry I realised I actually wanted ANYTHING… no, I wanted EVERYTHING!!! LOL!!! The girl at the window was really helpful, and made sure I had enough of the sauces as I suddenly remembered extras to my order that I had forgotten, and I left salivating at the thought of tucking into it. Me, salivating at the thought (and smell) of a McD… that’s got to be a first!

As I drove through the north part of Fort William, a sign flashed up that there was a yellow weather warning for the area, and that heavy rains were expected. I feared the worst thinking that tomorrow may well be a bust – but I was here now, so I may as well stay, just in case. I pulled up at my stop for the night, ravenously devoured my food, and checked the weather. Yep. bad weather was definitely on its way looking at this…

My Adventures

Bow Fiddle Rock, Craigmin Bridge, Craigellachie Bridge and Linn…

Scotlands Highlands 2020: Part Eighteen

9 August 2020

I awoke to the sound of a slamming door.

It was 4am, and time to take some pictures! I bounced out of bed (yes, I bounced! – and yes I know it was 4am… but that’s how dawn photography gets me sometimes…don’t judge!) I left River to sleep, and made my way down to the little cove to find the tide was 3/4 of the way in – or rather, as it transpired, a quarter of the way out. There were 5 other men on the beach with their cameras and tripods, including Older Gent, Camper Guy, and one that seemed to be a Pro. I wont lie, I felt I was a little late to the party! The sky was totally clear without a single cloud, so I found a spot in the middle of everyone, and took a few pre dawn photos. None of the guys were talking, and me being me, I tried to spark up light conversation by casually remarking that I felt a few clouds in the sky would have really made this shot, especially if the early sun could have caught them. The Pro immediately snapped back ” You don’t want much do you?!!”. I was a bit taken aback by this response, and several of the other guys threw him a sharp look to demonstrate their shock at the harsh retort. I remained silent after that – maybe this was why everyone was so quiet!!! As one fella moved his tripod behind me, he spoke kindly, and told me that the sun was due to rise in the arch of the Rock this morning, and we discussed how hard it was going to be to predict exactly where we needed to be standing to capture it in the right position. A little to the left… a little to the right…?! I was totally surprised, and excited, not least because of all the mornings I rock up – this is the one I pick! No wonder there were several of us here… but I was even more amazed to realise that this was the second time I had, by pure chance, turned up at a location where both the sun and the sky were perfect for a rarer dawn shot. (the first time was at Durdle Door in 2019). When the sun did appear, I was the lucky photographer in the perfect spot… however, despite the growing anticipation as the minutes to sunrise approached, I found myself quite decidedly underwhelmed. As it emerged over the horizon it looked a bit, well… pants if I was honest! On top of this, all my shots suffered from ugly lens flare spots, and the tide was well on its way out. This morning didn’t seem to be panning out as I hoped and I was terribly confused as to why it wasn’t working for me. I looked at Pro – but didn’t dare ask for his advice (!!) He snapped a few pictures, then spotted a girl coming down the beach, who, from what I could gather from their loud conversation, had previously been on a workshop run by him. He quickly finished up, and after chatting for a while, left with her. The rest of us tried several shots in a few positions around the small beach, but one by one, as the sun rose above the Rock, everyone drifted off, happy, I assume, with their shots. I kept trying, but no matter what I did, I ended up chronically frustrated and disappointed. The pre dawn shot was definitely my favourite.

I loved this early morning shot… SO much nicer than the actual moment of sunrise one for me.I finally left here and tried to find an interesting looking derelict cottage overlooking the ocean that I had seen in another snap by someone else. I drove up and down roads in the area but couldn’t pinpoint it, and ended up instead at Findlater castle a little further along the coast. I parked up in a small car park, and decided to simply take River for a nice walk in the sunshine to help rid me of the mornings stress so far. This location was really nice, the walk being both beautiful and peaceful. When I got to it, the castle looked like it had disappeared into the rocky outcrop where it had become so derelict. it lacked any drama or real photographic interest from up here on the cliff, however, I suspect that a shot looking up from the beach (if it’s possible to get down to the little bay there) would really help make it look a little more imposing. The sun right now was very harsh though, and I just felt like a gentle explore from up here before I left to get to my next location, so I didn’t venture down there to check. Another mental note for a future visit was plotted in instead…

Next stop was Craigmin Bridge. Now here was a bridge I was excited to see in person. It looked to me like two bridges built one on top of the other, but there’s no recorded history so it’s unknown whether this was the case or whether it was built all at once with this unusual design. Parking proved a little difficult here since my sat nav kept trying to get me onto private land, but I found a spot and walked back to the beginning of an adorable woodland walk. The first bit had lots of really cute fairy houses dotted along the edges of the path, some obvious, many secret and hidden. It was great fun trying to spot them! The bridge was a bit further along from here, and you can cross it without even realising what you are standing on. I suspect many do! Just over the bridge there were small worn footpaths, one off to the left, and one to the right, so I explored the left one first. It took me down alongside the top tier of the bridge, and you can actually climb onto, and walk under, the twin arches of the upper level. I found a small room (no idea what that might have been used for!) and a small ‘corridor’ through the central column to the area under the second arch. I really wished I knew why it had been built in this fashion – it had me most curious! I couldn’t get down to the river from here so I headed back up and followed the right footpath down instead. This was a much nicer position, but disappointment hit again when I realised that much of the bridge was hidden by the trees, and the bit that was visible, was being whited out by the bright sun shining on it from this side. I tried anyway…

Craigmin Bridge. Not a great shot and it took a fair bit of editing to even out the light, but a fascinating shape to this bridge nonetheless.

I also wondered if this might be a better Autumn/Winter shot… do the leaves drop revealing more of the bridge?? – so this was also marked in my diary for a return visit alongside those marked so far on this trip (this list is growing quite extensively!!) I tried what I could anyway, finished the first side, re crossed the bridge, and dropped down a much steeper slope to try the other side. Once finished I returned to Fred and decided that I would now try a second attempt at the Cullen Skink. So far this morning hadn’t been particularly fulfilling, so I hoped a bit of food would help.

One of the things I really hoped to try in my travels, were some local dishes and treats. Cullen Skink had come recommended, and it peaked my curiosity, so it had been added to my list of things to try! I drove back to Cullen, and was really pleased to find a parking spot right outside Lily’s Kitchen Cafe… the spot in Cullen which came highly recommended by folks on the NC500 Facebook group as being the best, (award winning, no less) Cullen Skink. Well I was about to find out for myself – and wow – just WOW! In case you didn’t know Cullen Skink is a delicious creamy fish and potato soup, traditionally served with Scottish Oat Cakes (or you can have a bread roll if you prefer) and it was developed right here in Cullen in the North East Scottish coast. I had it as traditional as possible of course, with the oak cakes complimenting the soup perfectly – and I wont lie – it was gone in minutes and I was incredibly tempted to walk right back in and get a second helping! Fish worries me because of the bones, but there were none, and the smoky haddock complimented all the other flavours so perfectly, that I wished these guys were more local to me in Kent! I must work out how to make this for myself I think!

Lunch happily consumed, I decided to travel onto Craigellachie Bridge. The weather was glorious, beaming sunshine, not a cloud in the sky, and hot – boy was it HOT – so much so, the camper was turning into an oven!!! On arrival I found myself a parking spot, and tucked Fred under some trees in the vain attempt that the shade would cool the camper down, and I just took River out for a walk for a quick explore. This bridge was a single span cast iron one, built between 1812 and 1814, and was (at the time) a revolutionary design by the famous engineer Thomas Telford. It crossed the River Spey at a rather odd point where on the northern side, a rocky cliff forces a very tight turn. Lorries occasionally hit the striking mock medieval stonework it was so tight, but now, its just a pedestrian bridge and icon. (I read a rumour that the funding ran out, and so this was as far up the river as they could afford to take it!!) When I got down to the beach area, I found it packed with people, and even a few tents, which sadly turned it into a bit of an eyesore. A shot here right now would clearly be very complicated, so I just left it for now. River loved her paddle in the Spey however. The flowing water was gentle and she had no issues going for a long dip in the cooling stream. When she got bored of it, we went back to the camper and had a nap. The early start, the food and the hot sun had all taken their toll. I was asleep in seconds and out for nearly 2 hours. By the time I awoke, it was 5pm, the crowd had thinned and I decided I might try some shots anyway.

View from Cragellachie Bridge back towards the road.

Sadly, the sun was still harsh and the shadows cast, really unpleasant. After a few feeble efforts at pictures, I really wasn’t feeling it any more, so I gave up and decided to try a waterfall nearby instead. These bridges were proving far too frustrating today.Not too far away was Linn Waterfall, and as there were still a few hours of daylight left, I thought I would give this a try instead – after all, as a woodland location, this may be easier to photograph today with less sun over the scene, and more shade to keep us cooler. The walk to the falls was really lovely, and no-one was around. By the time I got to them there was just a touch of sunshine on the top bit, delicately lighting the view really beautifully, and magnifying the charm of the whole scene. It took me mere minutes to set up and start capturing this beautiful sight in front of me. As I concentrated on what I was doing, I suddenly realised that River was being terribly quiet, so I turned to see what she was up to – to see her intently watching what I was doing. I hadn’t seen her look at me like that before, and as I giggled at her expression, I quickly snapped a photo of her (header pic) before going over to pet her, and tell her what a good girl she was being. Maybe that was a bit premature – as I focussed on a new position a few minutes later, she suddenly dashed off into the woods barking madly as she ‘chased off’ another couple and their dogs (to my loud apologies!!)

Linn falls late into the evening as the last bit of sunlight filtered through the trees. A pure and blissful time spent here.

I finished there with just under an hour before the sun was due to go down – should I try another sunset at Bow Fiddle I wondered?? I hiked back to Fred at pace, drove back to the same spot as I stayed last night, and hotfooted it down to the beach. I didn’t notice any sunset as I drove, but I think I may have missed it by the time I got to the waters edge, as the sky had started to go a shade of blue I recognised as ‘Earth Shadow Blue’. I know this as a darker blue strip of sky on the eastern horizon – just under the pinkish section of a sunset (if the pink is present). If you have ever noticed that lovely rich, dark blue sky on a clear summers day, this is much flatter shade of colour than that, and this was the colour I saw on the horizon tonight. There were two other photographers here tonight, and though pretty sure I had missed the light, I still got my camera out just in case. The male photographer there wondered aloud whether we had missed the sunset, and I suggested that perhaps we had. The girl there however loudly declared that we hadn’t because the sky on the horizon was still blue, I didn’t contradict her since she seemed so sure, and I wasn’t 100% myself at that point. I did explain to the fella that I felt it was the ‘wrong’ blue (I forgot the correct term) and ten minutes later he left… I guess he agreed with me. I too packed my kit away, but sat for a while just soaking up the peaceful atmosphere, and watching the girl take her camera all over the scene. She was still there when I eventually left to go back to the camper. By then it had become clear to me that I had actually managed to read the conditions correctly, and that the sun had indeed, set. An absolute bonus I felt, because it meant I was actually learning and something had settled into this old noggin of mine!

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 had 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 car park before too many people needed spaces. River didn’t 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 definitely 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 didn’t 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, although 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 definitely 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 hefty 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 ominous, 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 definitely 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 lapping 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 didn’t feel threatened in any way, and was quite obviously curious about me. I didn’t 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! (see header pic) Eventually he left and I could see that high tide wasn’t 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 haven’t 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 intriguing. 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 fascinating to see this shape rather than the more usual 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 wasn’t too far, but as I approached its location according to Google maps, I realised that a) it wasn’t 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 haven’t 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 didn’t fall to my doom either! (Yay!) The sunset didn’t 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 fascinating..)

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 didn’t fancy moving any more. I was too exhausted and once tucked up in bed, fell to sleep very quickly!

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 didn’t, 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 didn’t… 🙁

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 didn’t 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, although it didn’t 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 hadn’t 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 hadn’t 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 both an enjoyable walk and a very beautiful sight.

I didn’t know it at the time, but this was Achnambeithach Cottage, one of the cottages I had been trying to locate when I first visited Glencoe. 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 ‘isn’t 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 my 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 descending 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 hadn’t 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 wasn’t 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 didn’t see it anywhere along that stretch, but loved the coastal views that I had going this way. The temptation 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 hadn’t 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 hadn’t 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.