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Photographing the West Highland Peninsulas​
Ardgour | Ardnamurchan | Moidart | Morvern | Sunart

Hope of Autumn Colours

16/10/2021

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We are now in well in to October, the second month of meteorological autumn. It is when the number of visitors to the Peninsula reduces, the days become shorter, the nights become cooler, and the sun gets lower in the sky. This brings a quietness to the area and a quality of light that cannot be found at any other time of the year which, when combined with the autumn colours, makes what is a photographer’s paradise even more perfect than it already was.
Autumn colours around the Old River Shiel Bridge | Blain, Moidart, Scotland | Steven Marshall Photography
Autumn Crossing II - Old Shiel Bridge, River Shiel, Blain, Moidart
​By the middle of the month most of the numerous wooded areas around the Peninsula are normally at or near their “autumn peak”, having swapped canopies of green for tapestries of vibrant reds, golds and ambers. The image above was taken around this time in 2019, which was a particularly good year for the autumn colours, and it shows the trees around the Old Shiel Bridge at Blain in their full autumn splendour.
 
The Old Bridge was built by Thomas Telford in 1804. It spans a narrow chasm through which the waters of the River Shiel pass and seem to come to the boil before they expand in the House Pool, slow down and then run both still and deep. This single span bridge provides an interesting subject that can be photographed from many different angles. This, combined with how the smooth waters of the House Pool and the river downstream of it reflect the autumn colours, make it the perfect place to capture the splendour of the trees at this time of the year.
Autumn colours on the banks of the River Shiel | Blain, Moidart, Scotland | Steven Marshall Photography
An Autumn Peace - River Shiel, Blain, Moidart
​I’ve visited the bridge a few times over the last week or so to find that the arrival of the autumn colours is not quite as advanced as it normally is. Indeed, I can’t help feeling it is a week or two behind and although there are now hints of golds in the landscape, I find my myself wondering if their late arrival means that there will be a poorer show this year.
 
So, what makes for a good show of autumn colours? Well, the answer lies in the fact that leaf colour comes from pigments, which are natural substances produced by the leaf cells to help them obtain food. There are three pigments: chlorophyll (green), carotenes (yellow) and anthocyanins (reds and pinks). It is the mix of them, as influenced by the weather, that determines depth of colour we get each year:
 
  • Cold nights: low temperatures destroy chlorophyll so the green leaf fades to yellow, but if temperatures stay above freezing, anthocyanin production is enhanced and the leaves take on a red colour.
  • Dry weather: the sugars become concentrated in the leaves, more anthocyanin is produced and consequently the leaves are redder.
  • Bright sunny days: photosynthesis can still occur on sunny autumn days, using the remaining chlorophyll. Sugar concentration increases, then more anthocyanin is produced and the leaves are redder.
 
In addition to this, a warm dry 'Indian summer' is needed so that the leaves work for longer and therefore stay full of these pigments until the reducing hours of daylight and lower night temperatures trigger the colour change. So, if we’re to have another great show of autumn colours this year, let’s hope for some settled weather over the next couple of weeks, followed by some cold nights and dry, bright sunny days.
Autumnal sunset light bathing the banks of the River Shiel | Blain, Moidart, Scotland | Steven Marshall Photography
Still & Deep - River Shiel, Blain, Moidart
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Bluebells: Linked by Legend

22/5/2020

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Hyacinths and Harebells, one a spring flowering woodland plant and the other a summer flowering grassland plant. Both are tied together in legend and lore by a common name that is “Bluebells”. Both are to be admired with care, for fear of summoning the faeries, the witches or even the Aul’ Man himself….
Bluebells in amongst the faerie mounds - Ariundle Oakwood near Strontian
Bluebells in amongst the faerie mounds - Ariundle Oakwood near Strontian

A Mesmerising Sight

As my fourth Spring of living here on the Peninsulas comes to an end and we move towards Summer, I find myself reflecting on a sight that never ceases to mesmerise me during April and May. It is the sight of delicate Bluebells creating intense blankets of colour in the woodlands, on the hillsides and along the verges throughout the length and breadth of the peninsulas. However, things might not be as they seem. Are these really bluebells that I am seeing in this incredible wildflower spectacle?

Bluebells, Hyacinths and Harebells

​Well, it turns out that these beautiful little flowers, that spend most of the year as bulbs underground in our ancient woodlands and on our undisturbed hillsides, are what botanists call ‘wood hyacinths’ or “Hyacinthoides con-scripta” to be more precise. However, they have been given the common name English Bluebell because the flowers that emerge in April and May are indeed blue and they are indeed shaped like a bell. Who am I to argue with that?
English Bluebell (Hyacinth)
English Bluebell (Hyacinth)
Scottish Bluebell (Harebell)
Scottish Bluebell (Harebell) [Image Credit: Tigerente CC BY 3.0]
​What about the Scottish Bluebell, I wonder? It would appear that this flower is something quite different. It is “Campanula rotundifolia”, a creeping, rooted perennial (not a bulb) that flowers from July to September and is more commonly known as the Harebell. Instead of woodland, the Harebell prefers dry, grassy places. You are more likely to see it in the dry land around our sandy beaches as opposed to in our damp and shady woodlands.
​Are you sure the Harebell is a Bluebell, I hear you ask? Well, do you remember Scottish Bluebell Matches? If you do, just compare the shape of the flower on the matchbox label with that of the wood-hyacinth and that of the harebell and you will easily see which one is the Scottish Bluebell. The Harebell, of course.
Picture

Legends and Lore

There are many legends and much folklore associated with both the English Bluebell (Hyacinth) and the Scottish Bluebell (Harebell). Over the years, both have been referred to as the same thing, so it is often difficult to decide what tales apply to which flower. 
​
However, it would appear that many of the English Bluebell tales involve dark fairy magic with bluebell woods being portrayed as scary, forbidding places that should be avoided. They say that if you do enter, you should never pick or step on a bluebell. This is because the faeries hang their spells on the bluebell flowers and if you break their spells, they get extremely upset and seek you out. It is believed that once visited by an upset faerie, you will be led astray and find yourself wandering lost in the woods for evermore.

Legend and folklore say that you need to be equally careful with the Scottish Bluebell as its alternative name, Harebell, has its roots in magic. As well as being called the Harebell, the Scottish Bluebell is also referred to as Witch's Thimbles, Witch Bells, Fairies’ Thimbles, Dead Man’s Bells, Aul’ Man's Bells, the Devil’s Bells, and Milk-ort to name but a few. 

Some would argue that Harebell was the name given to the flower because witches would turn themselves into hares and hide among them. This may also be the reason why the names Witch's Thimbles and Witch Bells were used.

Fairies' Thimbles was given to it because it was widely thought that fairies live among the flowers, while Dead Man's Bells arose from the belief that fairies cast lethal spells on those who would dare to trample on or pick the delicate blooms. 

“Aul’ Man” is an old Scottish nickname for the Devil himself and was used as a way of naming the Devil without invoking him by speaking his name.  So Aul’ Man's Bells and the Devil’s Bells were used as some thought that if the flowers were disturbed, they would ring and this would attract evil spirits, including the Devil himself.

Finally, Milk-ort (meaning "milk herb), was sometimes used because Harebells (Scottish Bluebells) produce a white milky sap which was thought to be an element in the hallucinogenic “flying ointments” used by some witches. 

A Second Coming of Blue

So there you have it. Hyacinths or Harebells? English Bluebells and Scottish Bluebells? What’s in a name?
​
I’m left thinking it doesn’t really matter because, as the wonderful carpets of English Bluebells in our damp and shady woodlands begin to fade, I’m looking forward to a second coming of blue as the Scottish Bluebells emerge from the dry, grassy places that fringe our sandy beaches.

If lockdown allows, I’ll venture to these beaches out to the west of me to capture their delicate papery flowers nodding in the sea breeze, all the while taking care not to summon the faeries, the witches or indeed the Aul’ Man himself.
A patch of light on a carpet of bluebells on Phemie’s Walk, Strontian
A path winding through the bluebells on Phemie’s Walk, Strontian
Morning light on bluebells amongst Faerie mounds in Ariundle Oakwood, near Strontian
Bluebells amongst the ancient oaks in Ariundle Oakwood, near Strontian
A path winding up through the bluebells towards the old abandoned croft in Ariundle Oakwood, near Strontian
A bluebell emerging from the moss on the floor of in Ariundle Oakwood, near Strontian
You will find other images of Bluebells (Wood Hyacinths) in the woodlands of Sunart in the “Sunart”  image gallery on this website.  If you’d like a print of any one of them, please feel free to get in touch. Also get in touch if you’d like to arrange some photography tuition. 
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Faeries, the Stuff of Legends

6/4/2020

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I took the following photograph on a late winter afternoon as light fell on some of the hundreds of moss-covered boulders that lie amongst the trees in Ariundle Oakwood near Strontian and couldn’t help being reminded of the faerie mounds where the sídhe are said to live. Read on to find out more about these mythological creatures….
Fairy Hills - Ariundle Oakwood, Strontian, Sunart
Light falling on what looks like faerie mounds - Ariundle Oakwood near Strontian
What’s in a Name?

​If you take a walk through Ariundle Oakwood, you’ll see a woodland floor covered with hundreds of moss-covered boulders which, with a little bit of imagination, could be mistaken for mounds that are home to the mythological sídhe, a supernatural race comparable to the faeries or elves. Indeed, the nearby village of Strontian got its name because of the faeries. In Scottish Gaelic, it is called Sròn an t-Sìthein, which translates as the ‘nose of the fairy hill’ and means a knoll or low round hill inhabited by the sídhe. ​
These faeries, or sídhe (pronounced shee), play a large part in Scottish folklore. So much so that there are many places in addition to Strontian that owe their name to these mythical creatures. They include Glenshee, meaning ‘fairy glen’ or ‘glen of the fairy hills’; Schiehallion, meaning ‘fairy hill of the Caledonians’; Ben Hee (from Beinn Shìth ‘fairy mountain’) and similarly Ben Tee above Loch Lochy is Beinn an t-Sìth ‘mountain of the fairies’. Many more examples exist, all stemming from a time when every waterway, well and loch had a name, and an ancient faerie to protect it. 
One of the 'Fair People' in Ariundle Oakwood?
One of the 'Fair People' in Ariundle Oakwood?
Going back to Strontian, or Sròn an t-Sìthein, the term sìthein (pronounced shee-an) often referred to small conical hills with hollow interiors containing an invisible world within which it was believed that faeries coexisted with the world of humans. They were thought to have had a huge influence on how successful the annual harvest would be and if a crop failed it was sometimes thought that someone had violated or upset them. So, before you decide to go walking in the fields or forests by yourself, it is perhaps best if you know a little bit about the various faeries, their significance and how not to upset them.

​Respect, Honesty and No Green

Most important of all is to never let a faerie overhear you calling them faeries as they do not like this. They prefer to be called ‘fair folk’ and are very sensitive creatures, so do not be rude, or you might suffer the consequences. Also, you should always be honest with a faerie as they will know if you have lied to them, and not surprisingly, they don’t take kindly to that either. Finally, wearing the colour ‘green’, is also not advisable, as faeries see this as a colour that belongs to them.

There are many different kinds of fairies. Some take on human form, some take the form of creatures, some can fly, and all can appear and disappear at will. Some will fool you with comical antics, some will lure you with beauty and some will just plainly let you know how they feel about a human intrusion.

Coming across ‘fair folk’ like Buachailleen, Brownies, Gnomes, the Gruagach, Heather Pixies, Pixies and Seelie Courts can be a very rewarding and magical experience, as most of these faeries enjoy being mischievous, shy and friendly. The same cannot be said for the Ghillie Dhu, Kelpies, Nucklelavees or Fachans. Most of these faeries dislike humans intensely and an encounter with one of them folk could end badly for you. In particular, make sure you avoid the Black Angus or Cù-sìth, which means "faery dog". If this large black dog with yellow eyes and sharp fangs shows itself to you, the legend says that you will die in a fortnight. 

Belief in the ‘fair folk’ continues to this day, with stories being told in the early twentieth century of unwary humans being lured inside the sìthein at night, only to emerge the following morning and discover that decades had passed in the outside world. Other tales detail the abduction of unbaptised babies, or doomed romances with the fairy folk, and the various ills which befell those who dared to refuse them hospitality.

Even as recently as January this year (2020), plans for a fish farm in Loch Pooltiel off the north-west coast of Skye were rejected after campaigners warned that fishermen could be lured to their deaths by Ashrays. Also known as Asrais, these faeries are completely translucent water creatures and are often mistaken for sea ghosts. A group of campaigners called Friends of the Eilean Fhlodaigearraidh Faeries warned that workers' lives could be put at risk by the creatures, who could 'lure them with promises of gold and jewels into the deepest part of the ocean'.

It’s not all bad though, because as long as you respect the faeries and stick to the rules how not to upset them, then you should be safe on your walk through the oakwoods. Remember to call them ‘fair folk’, do not be rude or dishonest and finally, don’t wear green.
Light falling on what looks like faerie mounds - Ariundle Oakwood near Strontian
Autumn light falling through the trees on the walk to the abandoned croft at Ariundle Oakwood
The falling leaves of autumn settling on moss covered rocks of the Allt na Meinne at the entrance to Ariundle Oakwood
The intensity of the colour of autumn leaves contrasts against the dark of the moss-covered rocks of the Allt na Meinne at the entrance to Ariundle Oakwood
An iPhone shot of a twisted old oak tree stands proud against a misty backdrop in the Ariundle Oakwood
An iPhone shot of what could be little 'faerie mounds' at the foot a tree in Ariundle Oakwood
The River Strontian flows down through the Ariundle Oakwood from the misty high ground beneath the snow-covered peak of Sgurr Dhomhnuill
Winter sun tries to break through a thick stand of birch trees in Ariundle Oakwood
Images of SunartYou will find other images of Ariundle Oakwood and the wider area of Sunart in the Images of Sunart gallery on this website.  If you’d like a print of any one of them, please feel free to get in touch. Also get in touch if you’d like to arrange some photography tuition.  
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    Hi, I’m Steven Marshall, a Scottish landscape photographer based at Rockpool House in the heart of the beautiful West Highland Peninsulas of Sunart, Morvern, Moidart, Ardgour and Ardnamurchan. Get in touch for photography tuition, tours and print sales.

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Steven Marshall Photography,  Rockpool House,  Resipole,  Strontian,  Acharacle,  PH36 4HX
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