The online presence of Tim Collier. Photographer, course leader, lecturer and blogger.
Keeping local on our last day we took the short walk down to Rhue Lighthouse, just north of Ullapool, before heading back to where it all started; the walk from Fisherman’s Cottage down to the edge of Loch Kanaird. The wind had in no way abated and we were treated to some wonderful and spectacular light and further intense squalls at both locations.
…. and so to the last full day up in the high north. With two days travelling to come and 600 miles to cover to get home to Wales we’d decided on a slower day. We felt we’d got so much done the previous days that we could afford a quieter morning. It was to be anything but!
From Stoer we moved a little south to Balchladich Bay, still on the west coast so taking the full force of the gale. Really difficult working here with stinging rain coming directly at us. The rocks once again were treacherous but seemingly dancing with the rain glossing and polishing them.
Day five saw us heading out to Stoer lighthouse, on one of the most exposed headlands on the north west coast of Scotland. We took the quick route up, rather than on the ‘Mad wee Road’. So to Ledmore junction first, before swinging left up to Inchnadamph and then into Lochinver past Loch Assynt.
I’ll quote from my diary for today ‘The hardest day yet with heavy pulsing showers, but with that comes drama and interesting light’ We headed out on the ‘Mad wee road’ again and out to Achahaird Bay on the Rubha Mor peninsula.
Forty five minutes in the Stornoway terminal (you can’t actually stay on the ferry and must disembark and embark again) and we were once again on our way. A lone Guillemot was close to the shore by the terminal and gave really fine views of its winter plumage.
Day three saw us on the Ullapool Stornoway ‘Cal Mac’ ferry as foot passengers. We took the journey over and came straight back and at £20 for the round trip it was a perfect opportunity for a bit of sea watching and to take in some of the coast from a different view point.
Mellon Udrigle is a small crofting settlement strung along the western shore of Gruinard Bay. Suilven and the mountains of Coigach dominate the view from a turquoise sea and a pristine beach of broad white sand.
On the Saturday we arrived, whilst in the hide at Fishnish we got onto a second winter Iceland Gull whilst scanning the 80 or so gulls around the fish farms a couple of hundred meters or so off shore. It gave fine scope views but was far to distant for any photography.
A trip up to the north coast of Scotland without a storm or two would not feel right whatever the time of year. We had cause to keep our pop up roof on the VW down on a few occasions on this trip and Gwenda was lifted off her feet during one very gusty walk out to the lighthouse at Strathy Point.
This was a place we found by simply driving to the end of what was possible. We’d been down all the small roads off the road north from Kinlochbervie; Oldshoremore, Droman, the wonderful Bagh a’ Phollain.
Since Mum and Dad visited Cape Wrath (the most north westerly outreach of the British mainland) in the late eighties I’ve always wanted to follow in their footsteps. Continue reading
I’m currently reading ‘The Nature of Autumn’ by one of our greatest nature writers Jim Crumley, seems apt just now, and came across a small piece about nature’s national flag and Mark Rothko. In my previous post ‘Clarity, Colour and Emptiness’ the last image could easily have accompanied Crumley’s thoughts on, ‘the triple expanses of sand and open sea and open sky’
One of the star species on any trip up to the north of Scotland must be the Divers. The small lochans around Lochinver can be productive for the Black-throated, whist the Red-throated can be virtually relied upon to be in Scourie Bay. It’s not uncommon to encounter up to four at the same time here.Continue reading
A last post on the Kylebhan series and a one unashamedly celebrating colour’s relationship with age and weathering. The next series of posts will not be necessarily chronological, but will all be related to the five weeks we spent in the high north after the Kylebhan experience.
