The Isle of Skye Day 1We left Eilean Donan right after sunset and headed directly across the bridge onto the Isle of Skye, arriving at our B&B after dark. We spent two full days and of course it wasn't enough. Skye is about as good as it gets for the most landscapes worth photographing in the smallest area. We put a good scratch on the surface but just barely. So we had to make the best of the time we had. On Thursday, September 15th, we rose at 4:00 AM to make the trek to the Old Man of Storr. I wanted to be up on the mountain at sunrise and that was to be at 6:50. The climb was to take 50 minutes and was rated as "moderate". Well, "moderate" maybe for someone who climbs Mt. Kilimanjaro over a weekend. We reached the actual "Old Man" rock formation at about 7 AM and we were puffing. Jeanne Marie declared victory at that point and decided to wait for me there. The wind was quite strong at this point but she was able to get sheltered from it. I had to go quite a ways higher.
Although the sun was up by this point and we were behind schedule we were not penalized because a heavy bank of clouds on the eastern horizon left the light quite flat. It was clear overhead though so I got this of The Old Man and the third quarter moon. Below is the conventional iconic viewpoint for photographing the Old Man. You can see that the light is still a little flat.
I wasn't lingering here anyway. My scouts had told me to keep climbing. I had to scramble up the backside of a pretty big hill, out of view of the Old Man. Just as I reached the top and walked onto the flat, the sun burst out of the clouds and this was the scene below me.
And that, boys and girls, is what gets a landscape photographer out of bed at 4 in the morning. I didn't actually stay long. The wind was trying to blow me off the mountain and Jeanne Marie would be wondering. Besides, the spot I was on was quite small so there wasn't much to do with the composition except zoom in and out. I put a few more from this spot in the slide show. Going back down I got a better shot of the "conventional" viewpoint.
We headed back down to the village of Portree for breakfast.
After our early up and long climb we rested for awhile at the B&B. No more hiking but we would be driving across the island for sunset. And we continued to see reminders of the Queen's passing. This was on the road back from Storr.
Neist Point Lighthouse was the next objective. Jeanne Marie scouted up a pub which was more or less on the way for some good fish & chips.
The scenery on Skye is so terrific that views we would stop and gawk at for an hour are passed without mention. I debated whether to stop and take the image below. It was just sooo routine.
Eilean DonanThis post is all about Eilean Donan, a castle that sits on an island in Loch Alsh. Or, at least at high tide it sits on an island. We arrived at low tide so we didn't get to see it completely surrounded by water. It provides lots of photographic opportunities so we took our time.
Whilst waiting for the light to improve I caught this little tree just begging to have its picture taken.
The clouds played peek a boo with the sun all afternoon so the light kept changing. It actually tried to clear off completely for a few minutes but then the overcast moved back in. Typical Scottish weather.
Now, on to the Isle of Skye! Glencoe and GlenfinnanMid morning on Tuesday, Sept 13th we departed the Lakes District and headed straight for the border. In less than an hour we were in Scotland. Our route took us around the east side of Glasgow and the full length of Loch Lomond. We were headed for Fort William through Glencoe. We had good weather and made good time, arriving at Black Rock Cottage, which is just at the eastern opening of Glencoe, about 2 PM. The cottage is an iconic photo and I'm sure you can see why.
We explored around a bit. Found a nice waterfall, and then headed down the glen.
After driving through Glencoe we headed up to Ft. William for the night.
Next day we chased trains. The Jacobite Steam train runs from Ft. William to Mallaig on the west coast. It crosses a magnificent arched viaduct which of course, had to be photographed. If you're a Harry Potter fan this scene was used in the movie as the Hogwarts Express.
The train stops in Glenfinnan which gave us a chance to leapfrog ahead of it and get another picture coming through a little valley.
Glenfinnan is the spot where in 1745 The Young Pretender, Bonnie Prince Charles, raised his standard in the last Scottish Rebellion. A monument was put up at the head of Loch Shiel. This is the view from the viaduct.
We found this sweet little church, St Mary & St. Finnan, just a short walk from the viaduct. It was built on a shelf overlooking Loch Shiel, in 1872. Queen Victoria visited it a few years later and wrote in her diary, "I thought I never saw a lovelier or more romantic spot, or one which told its history so well".
We then got to see the second train come by. This time we watched from near the parking lot so we could get back on the road quickly.
We had already had a good day but we were not finished. Just up the road is the great castle of Eilean Donan. But we will save that for the next post. But we do get to play another round of "What's this mean". Here's the sign:
Please rest assured that we took great care at this crossing lest we collide with a heavy plant. The consequences of that would be dire. The Lakes DistrictThe Lakes District of northwestern England has long been a mecca for landscape painters, photographers, and poets. We were only stopping there for one night but we managed to at least get a little taste. It certainly met expectations. We stayed at the south end of Derwentwater, just down the lake from Keswick. We got there right at sunset so I had to grab what was available.
Stayed in a charmingly rustic room that had been converted from a barn.
Little shepherd girl following her flock.
This is all I have to show for 16 hours in the Lakes. I hope we get to come back. Now, the question you all really want to know- What is "fly tipping?" It's unloading your junk. Usually bigger stuff, too big to go in a dumpster. You could have given me 100 guesses. Now on to Scotland!!
Greetings From Merry Olde England and The Scottish Highlands and LowlandsHello All, I'm typing this on the flight home. No time or energy for blogging whilst stomping about the Highlands of Scotland. This trip has been long in coming, as our primary objective was to reconnect with Pam and Al Woodhouse, of West Lothian, Scotland. Daughter Shannon and I met Pam & Al in 1999 on the same eclipse cruise when we met Victoria and Diana. We have been trying to get up to see them, and photograph the Scottish Highlands, all these years. So it finally came to pass. But of course we don’t touchdown at Heathrow without running down to Bath to see Victoria Humphries and her husband Jeremy and their son Ben. We saw Victoria for a weekend in Sicily last spring but we had not seen the boys since 2015. And then, as we were pulling into the unloading lanes at the St. Louis airport another major facet was added to our trip. It was then we got the word that Queen Elizabeth had just died. We would be in the UK for the most momentous occasion in the living memory of most of her subjects. Her reign had spanned 14 US Presidents-Harry Truman to Joe Biden. The reminders were immediately everywhere, from news stands to flags at half mast to little shrines with a picture of the Queen and a vase of flowers.
We landed at Heathrow and headed directly down to Bath. Within 15 minutes we got our first "You're not in Kansas anymore, Jeanne Marie" moment.
Not sure how that little car can actually pull all that through the air! Maybe the bikes are connected to the drivetrain to help in getting up hills.
My ambitions for photography on this leg of the trip were modest. For one thing, We didn’t want to push too hard when we were jet lagged, but mainly we wanted to catch up with the Humphries. Besides, their home in Lower Hamswell is so scenic that a shot of some kind will invariably jump out in front of you at some point. For instance, their closest neighbors, just across the lane from their house, raise and race thoroughbreds. They exercise these horses on a special built track that is lined with shredded carpet. I was invited to photograph these sessions, which given my affinity for photographing horses, was a great opportunity. Massively fun!
Friday evening Victoria fixed us a fabulous dinner that we enjoyed on their Covid patio. This was one of Jeremy's accomplishments during lockdown. We mostly talking about the Queen. The affection these folks hold for her was, of course, easy to understand. She was respected the world over. Even our independence minded Scottish friends held her in very high regard. It was a great privilege for us to share this momentous time with our friends.
Saturday morning, September 10th found us up in the pasture for some horse photos. Is this a gorgeous setting to go horseback riding? Amanda is the first young lady you see and she is one of the racing family. She was very gracious to us. The other two girls trailered their horses in, taking advantage of the wonderful riding track. They were very accommodating too but we didn’t learn their names. More horses on the slide show.
After the horses went home we drove up the road just a mile or so to Beckford’s Tower. This tower was built in 1827 by a rather eccentric Englishman of the same name. It claimed a great overview of Bath so we thought as close as it is we should check it out. The tower was interesting and the overlook was very nice but we were at the wrong time of day for really dramatic photos of Bath. I did find a few subjects in the graveyard on the grounds.
Victoria comes from a family of Jack Russell lovers. She has been raising them all her life. Rhubarb is two years old and Twiglet is one of her pups, now four months old. They made quite a delightful pair.
Victoria Humphries- Arctic Explorer, Mountain Climber, Puppy Breeder, Wife & Mom
And now it's time for the game Jeanne Marie and I play on every trip to the UK (or Ireland). It's called "What's this mean?" It's usually a sign, or sometimes just an expression, that we have no clue what is being communicated. Here is the first one for this trip.
Here's a little hint. We encountered it on the parking lot (oops, car park) of a nice grocery store. There was a tidy row of recycle dumpsters along the edge of the lot. What does it mean? No fair googling. I'll give the answer in the next installment. Sunday after church Victoria, Twiglet, Jeanne Marie, and yours truly drove across Bath to Prior Park, which is just down the hill from Ben’s school. It also has great views of Bath and a beautiful bridge that wanted its picture taken.
Then another delicious dinner and relaxing evening at Berrymeade Cottage. The Queens’s funeral was again a prime topic, as the plans were unfolding daily. The Humphries had already procured train tickets for the following Saturday, to pass through Westminster Hall as she lie in state. They were expecting a four hour queue. Then next morning, Monday September 12th, our hosts had to get back to real life and we off to the Lakes District in the north of England. We had resolved to drive up to Scotland but it’s 11 hours from Bath to the Highlands so a one night stay in the Lakes seemed the best way to divide that trip into manageable pieces. And there might be something there to photograph. Slide show with more pictures below.
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