Skye from Elgol
continued from http://glenshielcamping.blogspot.co.uk/
After surviving an extremely cold Easter Saturday night we awoke to bright blue skies with not a hint of cloud in the sky. The sun was shining and you would have been mistaken in thinking the previous night’s temperature dipped to -10! After a brief breakfast of hot chocolate and noodles we set off to Skye.
I had seen photographs taken from Elgol of the Cuillin ridge
so we decided we’d head there and bag a few shots ourselves. If you are driving
to Skye along the A87 you eventually pass the impressive Eilan Donan castle
situated on a rocky island in Loch Duich. The origins of this castle go back to
the early 1200’s so it’s safe to assume it has seen some history. The island is
joined to the mainland by a stone bridge, all of which makes for a sure fire
camera shot. I’d visited the castle on a number of occasions so we only stayed
for a brief period for me to bag a few pictures, then it was off to Skye to the
strains of Genesis (Steve Hackett period, of course) on the stereo.
The road takes you across the bridge to Skye after passing
through the village of Kyle of Lochalsh. There isn’t much charm to be had here
so we thought it best to push on through and over the bridge. At this point the
Cuillin’s don’t give away their more impressive views but you get glimpses of
the grandeur as you head towards the turn off to Elgol where things get much
more interesting. You’ll be travelling on the A87 at this point and the turning
for Elgol is situated in the village of Broadford. The narrow road you are on now skirts the sea
and takes you past the imposing face of the mountains that belong to the
Cuillin range all of which is very photogenic so it’s worth jumping out with
your tripod for a few shots.
One interesting side trip you could make while on your way
to Elgol is to park up and take the coastal path down to Camasunary. This is an
extremely wild and beautiful beach of sand arching around the bay with a back
drop of the impressive mountains of the Cuillin range. The path is a little
arduous and is worse on the way back up to the car park but the beach makes it
worth all the effort in getting there. Just imagine a typically isolated
Scottish beach with a lone farmhouse then you have some idea of what to expect.
On this occasion we decided to head straight for Elgol and the leave the beach
for another trip.
You can’t miss Elgol, it’s the last place (actually, the
only place) on the road from Broadford. There isn’t a whole lot there, a few
dwellings, a dilapidated public toilet that could possibly be maintained by The
Young Ones (if you’re old enough to remember) but there is that incredible view
across the bay to the Cuillin Ridge. Walk down the fairly steep road and you’ll
see in front of you a pebbled beach and a very shapely rocky outcrop with the Ridge
as a back drop. I was slightly disappointed in the weather conditions as there
was a haze but it didn’t stop me from pitching my tripod and taking some
images. If you have a scout around the ‘beach’ and pick a good position you can
compose your image with the sweep of the rocky outcrop to the right and have
the entire ridge framed to the left. If you have a wonderful cumulus filled sky
or the rays from the sinking sun then you’ll take some awesome images. Mine
were okay, nothing spectacular, but as you can see it’s a great view in
B&W.
Heading back up to the grassy ridge behind Elgol we cracked
open the teas and noodles and lay back enjoying the view. There’s something
magical about being in such an environment, relaxing in the peace and quiet,
contemplating the scene front of you and forgetting your woes. Like work.
After an hour of laziness and trying to get the English
Premier League football scores (not very successfully) we headed back to the
campsite at Glen Shiel to get ready for another night in the Hotel and the
prospect of a good meal and another session on the ale. Perfect.
continued at http://plocktonvillage.blogspot.co.uk/
continued at http://plocktonvillage.blogspot.co.uk/
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