Skye - Day 2

Really cold and wet. Bah.

Loch Fada

Bride’s Veil Falls

It was so wet and cold this morning that all I managed was to gather these three things from The Braes. If you mix them in Doodle God you get Skye.

Skye - Day 1

First place I went to once actually on Skye… and it was closed for construction work. However it was Sunday so I jumped the fence. Impossible to take pictures of this with my expensive camera and lenses so this was a drone. I have a feeling this will be a pattern.

And then on to Quiraing, a collection of features in the Trotternish Ridge escarpment. It was early, it was dark, it’s miles down a very dodgy track, I was the only one there, and the weather was closing in. So I took a couple of pics and chickened out back to the car with snow in my boots.

The Needle

The Needle. What a scary climb up to this in the snow…. Just behind it is the Prison and just behind me is the Table, but bugger them; all I could think of was sliding to my death. Hopefully I can come back later in the week if the weather improves.

Dawn over the north-east coast

After Quiraing, piss-wet through and freezing I went home to dry my clothes and have lunch to find - a two-hour island-wide power cut. Sat in front of the fire eating a cheese sandwich.

Dunvegan Castle

Early evening and I drove an hour to take this picture with the wrong lens, in the wrong weather and with the wrong amount of enthusiasm. I imagine in a dusky summer sun it looks fab. For a castle. Castles are boring. The walk wasn’t though…. My guide-book said “Go through the gate next to the road sign to Claigan” which was a euphemism for “Climb over the locked and barbed-wire-topped gate with the sign saying Beware Of The Bull” (and then over two more fences.) Wasn’t worth it.

Neist Point

Notable according to my guide (post-bridge) as the furthest west part of the UK you can drive to, which rather depends on where you start. Bloody London metropolitan elites…! Another drone-shot. What did I say…?

Skye - Day 0 - A82

So here’s the important thing to learn, as I did, when driving the A82 through the Highlands. Don’t drive towards parking places trying to decide whether or not to stop. Stop. Then decide whether or not to get out. It saves a lot of last-minute swerving/braking/crashing. It doesn’t half extend the journey time, but I think it’s worth it…

Lochan na h-Achlaise Viewpoint

Lochan na h-Achlaise was just round the bend from Loch Tulla and I found two other photographers creeping out on the ice. I took mine dead quick and buggered off pronto.

Loch Cluanie

Eilean Donan Castle

BSL Test II

A few more sign language trial images…

Moto

Having had a judge say to me “I’d have replaced the sky in this image” for this Parkrun picture, I’ve had a go here. It makes me feel nauseous. Which is why I’ve not bothered masking it properly.

BSL Test

I’m seeing these as a triptych horizontally, but the internet is vertical…

Lichen

Another infra-red experiment.

People - PDI - 9-2-2023

Judge: Jonathan Vaines

Pretty happy with this. All seems fair! I recall Red Alert was scored down for the bright bar next to the chin, which I don’t honestly know how I missed!

Red Alert | 19/20

Undead | 16/20

Juggling | 19/20

Day 243 - At Last They Accept Me As One Of Their Own

Much higher resolution version available HERE (Google Photos).

Pit Stairs

The stairs leading to the Pit theatre in the Barbican. Actually a single image of the stairs reflected in mirrors, but I added dividing lines.

Blue Tit

Photo for the sake of taking a photo. But it IS cute. So here.

SETI

This is the orientation I want, but it’s not cutting it somehow. I’d like to put a warp on the ground to curve it a bit, but can’t do it without destroying the telescope.

Caxton Gibbet

IR filtered for drama