West coast scenery light and beauty
A series of visits to the beautiful West Coast of Scotland is planned between the beginning of May and the end of October 2021. Lockdowns permitting.
Here I will share the key images from my vlogs from these trips.
Kilchurn Castle stands on a club shaped peninsula at the head of Loch Awe. Housing the oldest Barracks in the UK this is a fine historical structure is well worth a visit. At the time of my visit there was not even a sign into the carpark for the castle.
Planning a visit would best be done in detail before zooming past in the car on the A85 and missing the entrance completely.
The view here though is taken from a different road, the A819 which comes off the A85 that loops round the castle as it heads to Loch Awe village and on to Oban some 24 miles beyond.
So well known is this view that parking has been made available. If the short walk is not appealing then a similar view from the car is possible. However a hop over a fence using a stile and a walk of a little over 200m direct or 300m following the path round the edge, will get you a view like this.
Click the image to see the YouTube video on the taking of this and the following image.
Kilchurn Castle from a few meters west of the first shot. The calm water and reflections still holding out just long enough to get this shot. If you watch the video though you will see this is actually three images blended together. This was primarily to ensure focus throughout the frame, but also worked well to get sunshine in the whole image as it was darting in and out between clouds during the capture.
A lone tree on the Isle of Kerrera.
This is a simple image taken from the Isle of Kerrera Vlog (15-06-21). I could have shown the castle, but I leave that for you to find in the video.
Accessibility - From the ferry to the castle, you will go from a tarmac to gravel road, as shown here, to a grass path that can get rough and muddy if wet. The walk is fair with minimal climbs and just a couple of mild gradients throughout. Check before setting off to see if the Tea Rooms are open.
This was a serious shift from my normal vlogs. This time, I actually walked a fair distance which is highly unusual and does not really fit with the “Accessible Photography” ethos. I needed to stretch myself though. I must build up my fitness and not let the M.E. hold me back. I have done so for too long, and you can hear my breathlessness in the videos after very little exertion. Maybe, just maybe, I will do a few more of these “long walks” until they begin to feel like moderate or even short walks. :-)
Saint Conan’s Kirk, Loch Awe. What a wonderful building this is! We worth a visit. You can view my vlog about here by clicking the video. I have though not released it on general access as the quality is not as good as it could be. It was filmed on a day when I had problems with the GoPro and did not realise it was not filming in hyper smooth despite being set to do so. The result is shaky filming. I think though, I will return here and do a proper video as this was just a spontaneous event on discovering this little gem.
Tobermory, Isle of Mull
Tobermory was built as a fishing port in the late 18th century and is now the main town on Mull. It is a picture postcard of a place with brightly painted buildings along the main street to the pier and the high woodland-fringed hills surrounding the bay. The town has a good variety of shops, hotels, and other accommodation as well as being the administrative centre for the island. The harbour is always busy with fishing boats, yachts and the ferry to and from Kilchoan. (From - https://www.tobermory.co.uk )
I only made a very brief visit to Tobermory as I was only on the Island for the day. I will return and explore the town and the island in a more relaxed way sometime in the, hopefully near future. I could not do this place justice in such a short time. The image here of the town is not the main one taken, I will show that below. I do like this one, though. The sun shone through a gap in the clouds, and the result was a nice scene with dramatic clouds. The image here and the one below are taken from the main car park. For a change, parking has been placed where a view can be taken rather in the way of a good view or well away from any view at all. It is very convenient for all levels of photography.
Anchors and colourful Tobermory
Castle Stalker
I visited Castle Stalker for only the second time and this time I got to the best view point location. I spent a long time waiting for the sun to reappear having gone in moments after I arrive.
Wikipedia :- Castle Stalker (Scottish Gaelic: Caisteal an Stalcaire) is a four-storey tower house or keep. It is set on a tidal islet on Loch Laich, an inlet off Loch Linnhe. It is about 1&1⁄2 miles north-east of Port Appin, Argyll, Scotland, and is visible from the A828 road about midway between Oban and Glen Coe. The name "Stalker" comes from the Gaelic Stalcaire, meaning "hunter" or "falconer". The island castle is one of the best preserved medieval tower houses to survive in western Scotland and is a Category A listed building. It stands in the Lynn of Lorn National Scenic Area, one of forty such areas in Scotland.
Accessibility is not great due to restrictions in parking nearby. I suggest not visiting during peak tourist times of the year and then the Car Park at the Old Inn may be open. From there, it is a gentle walk down to this location. Check Tide times, though, as with the tide in these rails disappear.
Glen Nevis
From a distinctive mound or knoll at the side of the C1162 Glen Nevis Road, we get a spectacular view of the Glen. Although not mentioned in the video, we are looking up at the mountains Sgurr á Mhàim, Stob Choire á Mhail and Stob Bàn. The biggest of all, Ben Nevis, is to the side, so close its summit cannot be seen. I just had to get a sunny view of this location and ventured out early enough to avoid incoming clouds but late enough for the light to flood down the steep mountain slopes. I then returned two days later. Again, early, but this time before the cloud hanging off the steep hillsides would burn off. The rain had just stopped, and the air was warming, which caused the forests to steam and add to the hanging cloud. Unfortunately, these moist, windless conditions are perfect for the Midges and clouds of those who descended upon me. Not for many years have I experienced Midges as bad as this, and I have never filmed a swarm so clearly. The location was used in Braveheart for the village scenes, but we also see other areas used in other scenes from this location. Other films have also been filmed in this Glen, such as Harry Potter, Outlander, & Highlander. Accessibility. The view is obtainable from the car, using the car park at the location marked on Google maps as The Braveheart Film Village. If you are up to it, you can climb the Mound for a better view. There is a path and steps, but the steps are huge, so be aware.
The Jacobite Steam Train
A shot at an iconic steam engine, The Jacobite or Hogwarts Express. Officially, this is The Jacobite Train, but for obvious reasons, the owners have also dubbed it the Hogwarts Express and sell tickets to that market. There is even a Harry Potter shop on board. This is a clever way of increasing your target market from steam enthusiasts and people wanting to see the stunning Scottish Landscape to also include Harry Potter fans young and old. The reason for this being obvious is that this is the sister train (BR 45407 or LMS 5407) to that was used in the Harry Potter film and travels across the famous Glenfinnan Viaduct where Harry flew a car past the train. The actual train 5972 has been loaned to Warner Bros Films for their Harry Potter film Studio Tours.
I have walked a short distance from the car to this location. I love the combination of the old white house on one side and the signal box or bridge control tower and Ben Nevis on the other side of a fabulous old steam train. By the way the train was built in 1937. The train made its way across the swing bridge very slowly, which makes it ideal for photography by novices. A calm day will mean great reflections in the canal below, but please keep in mind that the train does not reflect well from this position.