Hi all!
I've just subscribed to the website and I already love it! So many good articles and so many inspiring photographies.
I'm a landscape photographer (not for work) so I hope you will hear of me here in the forum from today :-)
I start immediately with a question (hoping I'm not off-topic):
In September I'll go for one week in Scotland. At the moment I've just booked the flight tickets. I'll arrive to Inverness and leave from Edinburgh. I didn't see anything about what to see and where to go yet. Anyway I'm planning to spend 3/4 days to the Skye island for taking some landscape photographies and the last days in Edinburgh as a tourist (I will shot something of course :-) )
Is there anyone of you that can suggest me where to go and how to move in the island? I'd like to stay there during sunset and hopefully during sunrise. My main concern is that I'll be alone for the first day and only with my girlfriend for the rest of the trip. So I don't have any idea what to expect. For sure I will look for some information around the web, but if you have any suggestion it would be great, so I can talk directly with someone.
Thank you
Hey Luigi and welcome!
I made a roadtrip through scotland last year with two friends of mine. Glad to share my experience (too am a enthusiastic amateur).
We started in Edinburgh ( https://www.dropbox.com/sh/u5nwuh9l5n8gkp5/AABUiYOz2TJQ7Tp-4BRlAhYqa?dl=0 ) went to Loch Lomond (the View from Ben Lomond is simply amazing - https://www.dropbox.com/sh/39cww7vrssjrg62/AAB1E21xixBLsMcVc7eGS7moa?dl=0 ).
After that we stopped on Islay for the destilleries there. But the landscape is baffling too ( https://www.dropbox.com/sh/o52goc9kvjl5t3h/AAC6z3byEfp4b4iUM6HCfrdaa?dl=0 ).
Right next was Fort William / Glencoe ( https://www.dropbox.com/sh/gam2jsh0honxa43/AACR_sgKe8O-6zK1KKBglCW2a?dl=0 ) and Ben Nevis ( https://www.dropbox.com/sh/wnazrw1nmgkf5mc/AADGBe0CEprttiVkBYCAfX5oa?dl=0 ). We climbed that mountain but had only Clouds up there.
After that it was isle of skye (you HAVE to see the ferry pools and the quiraing. Don't go to the main tourist attraction (old man of storr - https://www.dropbox.com/sh/79k1y4allf2rii9/AAA1inCOaq5Gf3YjFplAPChfa?dl=0 ).
We then moved up to Durness ( https://www.dropbox.com/sh/w2p22cog1z0kw5r/AABBNw9gH7lSkrPQM5MkuQM7a?dl=0 ) and John o' groats ( https://www.dropbox.com/sh/mlw39ciiz7gw1ne/AAAJjq1MalMoJE-KueAoZFesa?dl=0 ) and down to inverness ( https://www.dropbox.com/sh/e3fznakjmf5h2ge/AACt3B9fEhUliR6moEvvjZiya?dl=0 ).
After that it was the speyside ( https://www.dropbox.com/sh/j4p3xiy52fhuxj9/AAAgrRB4ZKGFHgrZ1TYRAfg5a?dl=0 ), aberdeen and back to Edinburgh (with a short stop at dundee for some highland games somewhere north of it).
You find ALL my pictures here: https://www.dropbox.com/sh/r8gduhbm3g88x3p/AAAarObkGnbv4ANZefr4iYVsa?dl=0
They are in folders with the names of locations. Don't hesitate to ask for exact locations :)
My recommendation for you: In Inverness get a car and move south on the east coast of loch ness. There you can get down to the shore and capture the sunset! Back in Inverness when it's dark in the city bridges are painted by light in rainbow colors.
Isle of Skye see above. Edinburgh is just amazing. Up and down streets on top of buildings...
have a nice trip !!!
Hey Mo, first of all congratulations for your photos: they're simply amazing! And thank you for all the information. Be sure I will ask you something more later :-)
What I'd like to understand at the moment is how much is "safe" staying far from the villages in the Skye island. I mean, we'll be just in two and don't know the places. Will be easy walking in the dark after sunset or before sunrise? Do you have any suggestion regarding that?
For example, when I went in southern England, where the white cliffs are, it took about 30 minutes walking and it was very easy. If I had to do the same thing alone in the middle of the Alps, I would think to go with people more expert than me :-)
depends on whats easy for you. There is not hat much light pollution so it get's quite dark. On the other hand it's not dangerous. Pathes are well marked and with a headlamp easy to follow. Off the path it's only grass and stones nothing to worry about. It's safe everywhere except coastlines. There are some serious cliffs.
It sounds good! Darkness is ok (maybe not for my girlfriend :-D ) , especially because I'd like to shoot the milky way if possible.
The only thing that concerns me is walking along tight streets with a ravine on one side. This is what happened to me when I was on the Alps and I got lost because there wasn't a clear path. And I promised myself it wouldn't happen anymore if not with an expert group.
Thank you so much Mo, as I have a better plan of where to go, considering your suggestions, I will ask you something more if possible!
Sure. By the way. We stayed mostly at youth hostels which you can book by hihostel.com can only recommend them. The standard is like dnt in Norway. If you're short on money that's the best option to stay for the night.