way out west

So, I've had a chance to reminisce about our trip up north and remember all the fun times we had! I have chosen a few images to post as they speak louder that any word I could think of!

Our first night was in Plockton but it was dark when we arrived so there really wasn't any point in taking the camera out of the bag - a good seafood nosh up was more in order. you really can't beat the seafood up there...straight out the water and into the pan! The next day we went across to Skye and had a drive up the East Coast to Trotternish. The drama of that part of Skye is breathtaking and we visited Lealt Falls and Kilt Rock before my fear of heights kicked in and we just stayed in the car for a while after that! The cloud was way down when we passed the turn off for the Quiraing so we just headed north to Staffin and then inland for a couple of miles to a place that had always intrigued me. its a place called The Fairy Glen and I've read about it a few times but never had the chance to visit. What we found was breathtaking and I don;t think my photography does it justice! Its a small area of strange conical hills. Apparently there are 365 of them in all sizes and they are homes to The Brownies - no not the ones that meet in church halls on a Tuesday night and learn how to sew - but little people! We parked the car and set off into the heart of the glen and were suddenly struck by the utter silence that engulfed us - we could have been swimming under water it was so quiet. We were only 2 km from Uig but we could have been a million miles from anywhere! It truly was a place with a magical atmosphere and we all felt quite humbled by its natural beauty. Not a house, car (apart from ours!), mobile phone mast, pylon or another human being in sight - just us and the Brownies! We didn't see one but I'd like to think that they do exist. That place didn't exactly spook me but I did feel a strange and powerful energy was there! Apart from it being an odd, yet fabulous place to visit, the hills make for wonderful scrambling for kids so the boy set about busying himself whilst I communed with nature! I got a couple of shots of him carrying big rocks up the hillside to make his very own cairn! He really is the cutest! We left after hours of just playing there and asked about the folklore later that evening - we heard a very strange account of a local piper kidnapped by The Brownies! I believed it of course but Jason thinks the story teller had been in at the whisky!

The next day we set off amid sun and torrential rain for Elgol and the famous view of the Black Cuillin. In true Skye style, the cloud came down and we saw nowt! It was all wildly dramatic and I loved being so far from the big city!

We also took the opportunity to visit Wood Rising. This is a photography studio in Broadford and we had been here a couple of years ago. the photographer is Alan Campbell and he makes the most amazing landscapes you have ever seen! I am always inspired by other people's work but there is something special about his. I won't go on too much but visit his website at www.woodrising-photography.co.uk/ to see what I mean. We bought some prints and I left with a new found respect for the landscape photographers of this world. Their art is so difficult to capture but coupled with the need to be utterly devoted to getting the time and light just perfect, it's mind boggling to me! I'd like to think that Alan would struggle with getting gorgeous shots of a half dressed bride but who knows!!!

So, that was our whistle stop tour of Skye and Plockton. We loved every minute and plan to go again soon - well further north this time! I have the bug!

I hope you enjoy these images...I forgot to mention the lone ranger that we spotted when we first arrived at the Fairy Glen. He was like a modern day lone ranger and then he disappeared - very odd - but not before I got a cool shot of him!

Fxxx