Back On The Hill

Just back from another weeks holiday trying to photograph the fantastic area around Inverpolly and Assynt.
The week couldn't have started any worse, we headed out to Achnahaird on Sunday morning for the colour junkies to photograph the sunset ( when it happens it is pretty special ) but before 09:00 my camera had taken a dip in a rock pool and decided it didn't like it, one camera and one lens for the bucket me thinks, had to rely on the trusty old 50D backup for the rest of the week, needles to say the first thing to come from me OH BOTHER WHAT HAVE I DONE ( note the capitals ). When the guys had finished playing and I had calmed down a bit we moved on to Altandhu to shoot some old wrecked boats and bhoys then moved on up the coast to Reiff to try for more colour junkie fix with a sunset on the pebbly shore but the tide was out and the sunset didn't happen any more than the sunrise.
Monday morning 5am rise WHAT !!
Yup you read it 5am and a drive up to Inverpolly in the pitch black to sit in the van until the rain went off then Spud and I trudged across sodden moorland looking for a different shot of Stac Pollaidh,

 ( as if that was going to happen ) got soaked, climbed a hill got soaked even more, maybe got not a bad photograph of a big rock so it was worth getting soaked, then we made our way to Loch Assynt where the other guys were hiding from the rain claiming to have some good shots of the Scots Pines which stand in the loch ( their feet must have been as wet as mine )
Tuesday and another 5am rise ( you gotta give us credit for trying )
And a wee drive over to Gruinard bay and we ended up at Mellon Udrigal, well the guys did but I backtracked along the road about 2 or 3 miles to a ruined cottatge which looked like it might offer some interesting mono opportunities, which it did ( a hill beats a beach any day ).

From Mellon Udrigal we drove up the coast to Cove where there are some very good coastal fortifications, concrete built but very thought provoking. If you are ever in the area I would recommend a visit just to sit and take it in, think about the significance and realise how lucky we all are.
Wednesday looked like it was going to be a wash out and it was. Mid morning the sun broke out so we all charged out the door and went for a drive and it rained again, so Spud and I went for a walk in the rain casing the joint for possible returns found this tree roots oot bit still no deid

Didn't go back

Ah Thursday and not a bad morning ( we had given up on the 5am starts ) so we all went up to the light house at Stoer Point, a wee bit remote as most light houses are but worth the effort if the weather is ok, a wee walk up the headland to get a decent vantage point and beat Spud and Martin to the good bit ( that didn't happen either ) got a bit muddy up to the knees cos that's what we do, then from Stoer Point it's a short drive to Clashnessie Bay and waterfall where all the mud up to my knees was washed off walking through the long soaking wet grass cos that's what we do. Clashnessie Falls is spectacular but must be photographed from a distance due to the spray, which ruled me out due to the fact that my longer lens took a dip on day one so I spent most of the visit at the small but very pleasant bay photographing moving water and bits of fence.

Friday our last day under grey skies and our friend and resident photographer Angus Bruce whose cottage we were staying in again recommended a trip north to Sango Bay at Durness, yup back to the 5am rise and a 1 hour and 45 minute drive in the dark and yes it is a smashing compact beach with spectacular rocks dotted everywhere it a pity the sun didn't come out where we were  ( it was out down south where we had been all week ) we spent most of the day waiting for the tide to come in at Sango Bay, ( more moving water shots ) but Gordon took a drive to the next beach along and reported back that there was nothing there, we suspect because he might have took some photographs of the old church and graveyard thak he chose to keep for himself. we chose to drive back before it got dark and Spud and I finished off our week at Rhue light house just north of Ullapool hoping for the elusive sunset, didn't happen !

Bottom Line we had a good week photographing in the fantastic North West of Scotland, it was a tough week  under grey skies with a lot of rain and some hail, early starts with mud and wind, we might even have some half decent photographs to show for our efforts but there is no doubt that we will go back COS THAT'S WHAT WE DO