An t-Eilean Sgitheanac

[Dusty]

Birma, Those are great shots. You could sell post cards of a few of those.

That looks like such a better place to visit than my in-laws place ever was. Part of the problem was always finding time to go off and shoot anything interesting. It would of helped if the back yard view was like your in-laws!

Dusty

[Birma]

Thanks Greg, Yildiz, Thomas and Dusty .

The landscape is dominated by sheep and the evidence of their presence seems to be everywhere. My mother-in-law now has Sheep Whisperer status as she is more reliable at rounding up the local flock than the sheep dogs. Who would have thought that sheep liked croissants and chocolate cake ?

The great thing about small islands is that you are never far from the sea and this is part of the attraction for me. The interaction of the sea, land and sky is very photogenic.

Scots Gaelic has had a resurgence in recent years and would seem to be safe due in part to it being a compulsory subject in local schools. It is very hard for my Anglo Saxon tongue but I enjoy listening to the sound of it being spoken and sung. The bilingual road signs can get a bit confusing though .

Skye certainly seems to be popular with photographers. It is more a case of spotting medium format cameras rather than dslrs .

Here are a couple from today's stroll after a break in the weather and some sun struggling through.


Glen Ose by Birm, on Flickr
Grass, braken and heather turning to autumnal colours in Glen Ose on the west coast of Skye.


Below Ose Falls by Birm, on Flickr
After a dry summer the water level is still low in the river Ose.

[Juanito200]

Wow what a beautiful place, and well captured, Birma! You seem to have really captured the mood of the area. I tried to say it fast at first to see if is 'said something' when spoken fast. I can't wait to see more. John

[Dr. Harout]

You've done it again, Birma. Excellent shots, some that I would really like to hang on my walls, such is #4.

[paulmurphy]

Hi Birma,

You have some lovely shots in the sequences, Skye is a wonderful place to visit, we stayed at Milovaig up near Neist point - amazed at the number of sheep wandering all over the roads.

I look forward to some more pictures.

Best wishes

Paul

[Birma]

Thanks John, Doc and Paul - all comments very much appreciated . I think I have a couple more pics to squeeze out of the RAW files but it will have to wait a few days. Back home now, and away from my photographic muse until next April

Paul, Neist Point would be great for sunsets if you got the right conditions. I don't suppose you have any pictures from there knocking about on the HDD ?

[paulmurphy]

Hi Birma,

We had a week in August and never saw a decent sunrise or sunset - lots of mist and rain with the odd clear day.

We had a fantastic cottage with a wonderful view



Neist point on a clear day



Old man of Storr on a typical day - the coloured dots at the base are people huddling in their waterproofs to hide from the rain



I really want to go back and try to find better weather - I thought the island was wonderful and we still had a good time despite the weather.

Cheers

Paul

ps these were taken with the good old 7D

[Dr. Harout]

Beautiful shots, Paul.

[aster]

Actually, these shots are gorgeous, Paul. : )

I'm not sure if a better weather would produce more interesting shots but of course that remaiins to be seen if you get a chance to photograph these places in more decent weather conditions.

All are very well executed and I'm intrigued by the giant rock and the atmospere in the last photo! Amazing!

Thanks for sharing. The 7D performed nicely..

Yildiz

[Birma]

Hi Paul - beautiful images from Skye. I'm not sure if I am cheered to be reminded of the combinations of light, land and sea, or saddened as I am now so far away and sat in an office. Years ago I have sat by the lighthouse at Neist Point and watched, through binoculars, Minky whales glide past with the sea a flat calm - magical. The last time I was at the Old Man of Storr the wind was so strong that at a couple of points I had to hold on to my wife to stop her being blown over . If there is such a thing as a "photographic muse" then mine is being in the Hebrides .

[Birma]

A couple more images from Skye, this time from the gardens at Dunvegan Castle rather than of the wilder landscapes.


Dunvegan Waterfall by Birm, on Flickr


Fuschia Fall by Birm, on Flickr

[Birma]

A picture from Loch Bay, a place with an Inn, which is pretty unusual on Skye. The house on the shore at the end of the bay is a self-catering holiday home and I'm sure its popularity is as much to do with its proximty to the Stein Inn as to the wondeful views from the house itself .


Loch Bay 1 by Birm, on Flickr

[Greg Beetham]

Nice crisp shots Birma, are those floats over in the distance or boats? lots of water in the creeks for an island without any mountain snow melt, that I could see anyway, must be seepage from the rain instead I guess. Looks like a tranquil spot all round for a nice holiday....no shots of the Inn?
Greg

ps. That dramatic shot of the tall rock in the mist by Paul looks a bit like a volcanic lava plug, there's a few of them scattered around Oz as well; makes you wonder how old a place has to be for the mountain to erode away and leave the lava plug because it's so much harder than the surrounding stuff that was once there. I guess in those parts though there would have been glacier action grinding things away as well...once upon a time..

[Birma]

Nice crisp shots Birma, are those floats over in the distance or boats? lots of water in the creeks for an island without any mountain snow melt, that I could see anyway, must be seepage from the rain instead I guess. Looks like a tranquil spot all round for a nice holiday....no shots of the Inn?

Found some shots still on the camera and therefore noticed that I hadn't replied - sorry Greg . They're floats, some lobster pots and some probably mooring points. Loch Bay is a sea loch which is just very calm on this particular day . Skye, in common with much of the Hebrides has lots of freshwater lochs all fed from the high rain fall - no need for snow melt although they get that somtimes too. Check out North Uist on Google Maps (satellite view) and try and spot the land . I took a couple of the Inn but they didn't turn out right. Next time.

[Birma]

Found a few shots from the last full day still hiding on the memory card.


Loch Bracadale across the moor by Birm, on Flickr
The moorland and fields lead down to the village of Ose by the shore of Loch Bracadale.


Macleods Tables and wreck by Birm, on Flickr
Someone decided that this fishing boat wasn't worth the repairs obviously. A rather melancholy sight in contrast to the bright afternoon sunshine. Perhaps when Greg finshes his current project he could start on this one. A doer-upper ?