A Year of Recovery
August
Ardgour | Ardnamurchan | Moidart | Morvern | Sunart
Gentle Dance
Fascadale Bay, Ardnamurchan
I visited Fascadale Bay, a rocky cove on the northern coast of the Ardnamurchan Peninsula, on a dull and overcast August day. Drizzle from the passing warm front filled the air, but it was surprisingly calm and all that disturbed the peace was the rumbling of the rounded stones and shingle on the beach as waves washed over them. After watching and listening for a while, I settle on taking this long exposure shot of white whisps of sea foam gently dancing around one of the rocks that had been partially submerged by the high tide.
Disappearing Isle
Swordle Bay, Ardnamurchan
Following my “grey day” visit to Fascadale Bay, I decided to try Swordle Bay as the place where I would capture the “North Coast” sunset that had alluded me in July. The conditions looked promising when I arrived at the shore, so I set up this composition which used the line of a limestone outcrop to lead the viewers eye out to the Isle of Eigg. It wasn’t to be though, because a squally rain shower arrived just as it was time to press the shutter button. However, this dramatic scene of the approaching rain and storm clouds enveloping the Isle of Eigg provided me with more than ample consolation.
Revelation
Swordle Bay, Ardnamurchan
Not wanting to give up on my “North Coast” sunset, I returned to Swordle Bay a week later in the hope of eventually capturing one. This time, the weather was “too good” with there being no clouds overhead to reflect the sunset colours. However, it was a blissfully peaceful evening and I spend a good couple of hours photographing the eroded limestone formations that were gradually being revealed as the sea retreated after a high tide. In this particular image, I used a 30 second exposure to smooth out sea between the sea and the silhouetted islands of Eigg and Rùm.
Return of the Stars
The House Pool, River Shiel, Blain, Moidart
The thing I love about late August, is the shortening days and lengthening nights because this means the return of stars to our night sky and in particular the magnificent sight, the Milky Way. Visible for a couple of hours each night until early October, this cloudy core of our galaxy rises above the horizon in our southern sky and travels west as the night progresses, meaning that I was able to capture it above the House Pool on the River Shiel at Blain. If you look closely at the image, you can spot some shooting stars.
Terracotta
Ben Resipole, Sunart
At certain times of the year, the setting Sun is at such a angle that it bathes Ben Resipole with beautiful orange light and turns its westward facing flanks a deep terracotta. It’s such an amazing sight and I’ve photographed it a few times, but on this occasion, I thought I’d do something different and capture it from the air using my drone. I flew it from my house, which is the white one in the bottom left and, as I was doing so, a passing rain shower created the slightest of rainbows on the mountain’s peak.
Waxing Orange
Loch Sunart, Resipole, Sunart
I think that there’s something quite magical and mystical about a crescent Moon. They occur at sunrise in the east a couple of days before a new Moon and, as in this case, at sunset in the west a couple of days after. In August, its position is such that it sets over the western end of Loch Sunart as viewed from my house and I was pleased to capture this waxing crescent Moon just as the setting Sun turned the whole scene a subtle shade of orange.