I’m currently going through my Scotland images and came across this one taken in 2013. It certainly lives up to the Darker Skies name!
The tree has appeared in a number of my photographs including the one below that has been used as my twitter header image, on and off, since 2012. I have to say that i’m rather fond of that little tree.
Both photographs were taken at a location near Dornie, Highlands of Scotland.
A colour version of this image, taken in Cowgate in the atmospheric old town area of Edinburgh, was posted on Instagram a couple of days ago, but i rather like the black and white version too.
One thing i didn’t notice at the time was the CCTV camera mounted on the pole! Looks like I myself was on camera later when i walked through on my way to the Grass Market.
Sterling Castle is one of the most impressive landmarks in Scotland and one that i’d passed for quite a few years without stopping for a closer look. Fortunately i managed to get that closer look last weekend and both the castle and the views were fantastic.
Sterling sits in the central Scotland and has played a key role in shaping the country over the years. It’s strategic position, combined with the near impregnability of the castle, has caused invading armies many problems over the years. Often they would bypass it rather than try and take it.
The visibility was fantastic on the Sunday i visited. The cold November air was beautifully clear enabling visitors to see the mountains, located 30 or 40 miles away near Tyndrum, at the edge of Stirlingshire. A sprinkle of snow could be seen on the peaks.
One thing that did surprise me during my castle visit was the number of tourists, though i suppose that the tourism season never really stops now. I’ve always loved the reactions and behaviour of those on holiday. We all do it, but in the social media age we seem to need to prove, more than ever, that we have visited a location. The selfie stick must be the ultimate symbol of that desire. The postcard, at one time a critical part of communicating holiday news, has been dying over the years due to social media, to the point that Salmon postcards, who have been publishing postcards and calendars since 1880, are to close after over 100 years of trading.
Coach tours are my favourite tourism activity to watch though. The large scale and yet fleeting visits they make are popular, seem to only give a tantalising taste of the location. People seem to love the convenience though, even though there doesn’t appear to be the time to stand and soak in the place. Two coach tours pulled up below the castle and i took the image below. While the castle appears to be the main focus of attention, the field also contained Highland cattle that also got their photo taken. Highland cows do love having their picture though 🙂 Note the photographers who have climbed over a gate to get a clearer view.
The image of the Wallace Monument has to be my favourite from the visit. The tower stands on the Abbey Craig from which William Wallace was said to have watched the gathering of the army of King Edward I of England, just before the Battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297. The tower also has a great view looking back at Sterling Castle, so the next visit will probably include a climb up the Wallace Monument to see the view.
The Autumnal colours are an added bonus along with the clear visibility. The light in the summer can be wonderful but it can also bring some atmospheric conditions that can hamper the photographer . The colder air, combined with the late autumn light, really helped capture the magnificent views from the castle walls.
Rievaulx Abbey, North Yorkshire, UK. The impressive ruins of one of England’s most powerful Cistercian monasteries. Photographed in mid September 2016
After a week in Edinburgh I head home by train tomorrow. It’s been a great week. The last visit I made to Edinburgh was in 1992 and so a return to the Scottish capital was long overdue.
I haven’t been able to visit everything I wanted to but I have managed to do most of the list. Another visit is planned for 2016 and I’ve noted a few places to visit next year that I just didn’t have time for this year.
Among the places I visited was the National Portrait gallery of Scotland to see work by Document Scotland, a collective of photographers who document Scottish issues. Their exhibition, The Ties That Bind, runs until April 2016. Well worth a visit.
A visit highlight was the ghost bus tour which blended theatre and story telling to create a great night of comedy. Was it scary? Well yes but it was more theatrical than horror – I was attacked by a spooky curtain. I intend to do it again next year along with a tour of Edinburgh’s spooky vaults.
My Instagram feed has a selection of images taken over the last week but I have a few exclusive ones for the DS blog that I’ll add over the next week or so. Thanks Edinburgh you’ve been great. See you next year 🙂
This group meeting took place one Sunday morning down by the harbour in Portree, Skye. From what I could gather it was a religious meeting and that was confirmed when they all started singing hymns rather loudly. One person did seem rather distracted though.
Faith seems to be strong within the community on Skye. Chapel services appear to get attendances that other UK chapels would love to receive. Whole families, dressed in Sunday best, can be seen arriving for the Sunday service at chapels and churches all over the island. Back home, my local church has seen a considerable drop in attendance figures over the years to the point that it is now looking at developing new uses for the building alongside that of a place of worship.
Even though Portree is a popular tourist destination, Sunday trading is still limited to a small number of shops aimed at tourists – the rest remain closed. It reminded me of something the author J.J Bell noted in his 1932 book ‘The Glory of Scotland’ that if you were travelling to Skye, to wire ahead to the ferry but not to expect the transportation service to operate on a Sunday. Bell wrote ‘Skye is still’ ‘particular’ about the sabbath. Some of us write unkindly letters about it to the press; other of us ‘take our hats off’ to Skye.’ That still seems to be the case over eighty years later.
This observance of the Sunday is still visible on Skye (though the ferries do run on Sunday now) and is certainly a refreshing change in a world that has increasingly gone 24/7. I certainly take my hat off to Skye.
This was one of my favourite images from last year’s trip to Skye and the great day I had climbing up to the Old Man of Storr – even though I did carry my camera kit up too!
The path in the photo winds its way up to the real start of the climb not that far past the gate, the place where people usually make the decision to continue or turn back. A series of daunting looking steps starts the climb after that point. It’s well worth the effort but you have to be properly prepared for the steep climb.
One thing you can’t fail to miss as you walk up is the apocalyptic landscape around you where the trees have been harvested. Hopefully when I return later this year, a new set of trees will have been planted that can be harvested again in around 20 or 30 years.
When i was looking at the photo on screen I noticed that the man in the centre of the photo is turning around and looking back. Did he sense someone was taking the photo? It’s probably more likely that he is just taking one last look at the Storr before heading back to the car.
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