I’ve been back home now for a few days after being up in the North West Highlands of Scotland running my Assynt photo tour.
Like most of the uk, Scotland was hit with a spell of very warm and blue weather, not the ideal conditions for the landscape photographer BUT you have to adapt and embrace all conditions and do your best. I had a great time with a lovely and very easy going group. Unusually for me, Janet, Phil, Ruairaidh and JD were shooting handheld 90% of the time, that was nice to see for a change, I adopted that style for most of the time too.
Having a new computer which can successfully run noise reduction has given me the impetus to try more handheld work. The iso can go up and any noise can be dealt with easily, though I’ll be honest I am still a committed tripod user for most of my landscape work, but the advancing years means that tripod is getting a bit of a pain (literally) to carry around! Anyone want to apply for a job as my photo caddy?, don’t bother, I couldn’t afford to pay you anyway!!!!
Anyway, back to Scotland…….
Unfortunately the area had a couple of wildfires a couple of days after I returned home, it was sad to see the fires in the area around Stac Pollaidh. It was probably no real surprise , it was strange to see the land looking so dry at this time of year, the grasses crunched under your feet when walking around when normally you would be trying to avoid getting soaking wet feet. I sincerely hope the area gets a good soaking or two in the coming days to really bring on spring. Above all I hope there are no idiots out there lighting fires in areas so dry that any small spark could start a large fire. Unfortunately it seems that idiots are everywhere nowadays. Myself and Ruairidh witnessed a man of an age ‘who should know better’ throw a plastic bottle out onto the top of a cliff at Clashnessie, he got a very loud ‘OI’ but just looked in our direction and carried on. I hate to see something like that.
On a day before the official tour started we visited Clachtoll and the campsite was empty, on our return a couple of days later the campsite was full of campervans. Inwardly I couldn’t help thinking about how much Skye has changed over the last few years, will it happen in Assynt? , who knows, the roads don’t make it easy to get around some areas and hopefully many places will stay relatively unspoilt but I admit it was rather shocking to see the size of the new Stac Pollaidh car park. Only time will tell I suppose, I can only hope that visitors will respect nature, respect the locals, spend their money in local shops, cafes etc and spend some time in the area, not treat it like an NC500 ticklist, ‘ok, seen this, on to the next place!!!’.
Let’s put aside my worries for this place and just touch on a few pointers from the trip in a form of a kind of stream of consciousness………
PEOPLE
Maggie and doggos Finn and Millie.
Lovely elderly lady from Harris in Culag woods.
Gentleman staying in Bill Smith’s (look him up - Bill Smith - Clachtoll) house in Clachtoll, the gentleman was a former pupil of Mr Smiths.
Lady at Flossie’s Beach Store in Clachtoll (is she Flossie?) and her doggo (Mia?), fine coffee, brownies and bird island wine.
Young lady who owns the new Lochinver Bookshop. Hope that goes well for her.
Happy waves from locals if you stop at passing places for them.
The apologising lady on the Clachtoll road.
PLACES AND EXPERIENCES
A new found appreciation for Loch Glencoul and the Stac of Glencoul.
Scary bit under Kylesku Bridge. What’s behind the door?
Achnahaird Bay - will I ever get a shot that really sums up this beautiful place, I’ll happily keep trying.
Stoer beach - slowly becoming a huge favourite.
White Shore, Culag Woods - the best pebbly shore in the world.
The wee mad road - the bit with the wall!!!!! Always a fun experience!
Lochinver Larder - gorgeous pies as always. Chorizo and Manchego sadly missing :( . 3 pies in total on this visit.
Sadness at the Wailing Widow Falls, all getting a bit messy!
Beers - Dark Island from Orkney and Skye Black.
Nightime visits from Badgers and Pine Martens.
Aurora over Loch Culag.
Clouds rolling like a waterfall over Cranstackie and Beinn Spionnaidh.
Finally visited House of Bruar!!! Top Mocha but bought a far too rich cheesecake, there’s three quarters of it in a bin near the Pentland Hills if you fancy it!
Ceannabeinne - could photograph that place forever.
ANNOYANCES
Lay bys.
People not acknowledging stopping at passing places for them!!!
Road users unaware of traffic behind them.
Too rich cheesecakes!!
Here’ s a few handheld shots from the trip….
Until next time.
J
Glad you enjoyed your trip north. Sadly, Assynt is already overrun with visitors in the summer. The Highlands is becoming a bit of a no-go area from Easter to October thanks to the NC500 - way too many camper vans driven by people who are incapable of driving on roads that need you to be a capable driver.
I have many happy memories of Clachtoll and the surrounding area, thanks to Bill Smith. I was a pupil at the school where he taught (although the teaching bit is a moot point as he was often away on some venture, lol) and, in the days when the teachers did loads of extracurricular activities, he organised a West Coast Camp at the end of each summer term. We camped at Clachtoll and did hillwalking, kayaking etc - we even went caving at Inchnadamph.
Next time you head north, call into Black Isle Berries - we're just off the Tore roundabout - we do excellent coffee and cake 😃
Great pictures and write up Jon, can’t help but agree with much of what you said. I feel exactly the same way about Achnahaird Beach, at least half a dozen visits, loved it every time, came away with nothing much. But it’s a pleasure to keep trying.