Day 02 – Loch Ness, a Famous Castle, and to the Isle of Skye
After a long day yesterday with not exactly the maximum of sleep, we didn’t get up too early. Still, we were on the road at a decent hour and drove down to a famous castle on Loch Ness, one that we’ll revisit with the group later in the week.
One of the things that struck me is the plethora of Gorse. It is everywhere, and seems more so than last time, but then, it is in bloom, covering the hillsides, lining roadways, and even clinging to steep mountainsides. As I looked out one of the castle windows, this was the scene that greeted me.
We looked for Nessie, as we traveled down the northerly side of Loch Ness, but only the various tour boats were plying the waters.
In final scouting, we always try for new areas. There was an enticing road up over the mountains to one of the ferries. It was, indeed, dramatic, but it didn’t produce the quite the photo opportunities that we were seeking, although I did get what I think will be a nice panorama. Since it was a dead-end, we turned around at the ferry stop, HAL still insisting that we get on the ferry. Silly HAL. I wish he’d listen to what Arnie and I say to each other!
We drove past high moors and saw some pretty impressive scenery that we had enjoyed on our last trip. Our next scheduled stop was the castle just before the Skye Bridge. Being later in the day, there were hoards of people.
Still, patience always wins out, and Arnie and I got some shots that pleased us. There was so much to photograph, and the setting is pretty impressive. We enjoyed the afternoon sun as we waited out this shot and that.
We have long noticed a phenomenon when we photograph. We always seek a different viewpoint, a more-unusual view. When we find one, invariably, the ants appear, walk right in front of us, arms stretched out at full length, to grab their shot. We watch where they aim and decide they really don’t have a clue of what we’re envisioning. They disappear as quickly as they come, while we wait for the light to be just right, or for the people to disappear from the bridge or window, etc.
Over on the Isle of Skye, we pretty much headed straight to our hotel.
It’s a lovely, whitewashed stone hotel with a view out onto the water and the mainland. The architecture is typical of this part of the world – simple but friendly. The walls are a couple of feet thick, and the window sills are wide, perfect for leaning out our bedroom window and surveying the scene before us. Cows munch contentedly just across the lane, a mix, I think, of West Highland and something-or-other that shall remain nameless.
After a nice supper, we walked down to the boat yard for some images. The sun has set here, but not across the way on the mainland. I was drawn to the pattern of rocks in the foreground, contrasting with the orangey-pinkish mountains across the Sound of Sleat (pronounced “slate”.
Everywhere I walked, there were small, pink flowers carpeting the rocks and grasses near the water. There was just enough residual light, probably bouncing off the clouds, to make them stand out.
I picked my way across this shoreline moor, being careful to not fall into one of the many holes, skirting miniature ponds, and headed with Arnie back to our hotel.
Tomorrow, we shall spend a full day exploring the various mountains, fishing villages, and a castle or two. The island is only 50 miles long, but because of the topography, “You can’t get there from here!”
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