Luskentyre

Hi all

As threatened, some more from my trip to the far north west of Scotland at the end of February of this year. As I mentioned a couple of weeks ago, I spent the first half of the trip wildcamping on Sandwood Bay just below Cape Wrath. The second half of the trip I spent in the van in and around Luskentyre, on the West Coast of Harris in the Outer Hebrides, a short hop on the ferry over the Minch from Ullapool. Like Sandwood Bay, I last visited Luskentyre about 8 or 9 years ago, as part of a longer trip wandering around Harris and Lewis for a couple of weeks, and I'd been very keen to get back there with a camera ever since.

People tend to speak of Luskentyre in somewhat hushed tones, primarily because of the quality of the light, and having spent a few more days there I can really understand why. The clouds tend to gather around the mountains both close by and further up the coast, making not only for a pretty soulful backdrop, but also a constantly changing palette of colour, light and shade, which plays itself out over the day across the enormous tidal range of the bay. I had rather stormy weather whilst I was there, very windy in particular, which was pretty life affirming all round. I'll post some more abstract shots/ICMs in a bit, but for now, here are some landscapes. All Luskentyre, except the first one, which is of Ardvreck Castle on Loch Assynt, and which I happened to pass on the way to Ullapool from Sandwood Bay. One of those "get out of the van and run" moments... all Pentax K1II, DFA 15-30, DFA 24-70.

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All thoughts, comments, observations etc. gratefully received as ever...

Best

A beautiful, stunning, serene, moody-melancholy, atmospheric set of photographs.

Super intro into the background of these,
Then you're met with a visual banquet of cracking images, until you get to 13,
That no 13 is one impactful image, movement, lines, light, colour, composition. Simply stunning.
5 through to 16 for me with 13 being my stand out pick.
I'm not jealous much, honestly

Agree with Defragged.
Scrolling through the photographs I thought things can't get any better then the final shot No.17 WOW! What a shot to finish on! It would be great to see these at a larger size than this site allows.

Not a lot to be said really, except this is simply the best set of "scapes" I've seen on here

another superb set with the "less is more" genre absolutely nailed. really wish i had the ability to see as you do.

Great landscapes, perfect capture of moods and feelings of a special place. Can't pick a favourite, they're all too good for that.

I too was at Luskentyre 8 years ago. The abiding memory was cold and wind in mid-summer! But also, as you say, wonderful light and cloudscapes.

Steve

Superb again Bill...another set that upholds your very high standard...Mr Consistent (probably a trait necessary in the day job?)

Have to say I particularly like the dark, moody, sky shots which all happen to be odd numbered...pure co-incidence or by design Bill?

In no order other than purely ascending numeric...1,9,13,15,17. Torn between 1 and 17 as my favourite.

Leaving the 'Dark Side' and wandering towards the 'Light'...No.14 stands out for me with that fab foreground.

regards

Karlo

Stunning set, Bill! No. 8, 10, 11, 12, 14 are my favorites! Seems very peaceful place! I love all the pictures!

Thanks all for thoughts and positivity re these... much appreciated... it really is a pretty beautiful place...

Steve: yes, I have a funny feeling that the wind never really stops blowing on Luskentyre, whatever the season... part of its charm I reckon!

Karlo: interesting spot re darker ones on the odd numbers... not intentional re the numbers, but I suspect I was probably looking to break them up a bit, hence the pattern... 14 was interesting in that the foreground is a bit of an optical illusion... looks like it's quite deeply rutted, but it's actually almost completely flat... it's purely the sand/shingle patterns...

John: thank you... very gd of you... had a fair bit of help from Mother Nature along the way...

Derek: yes, Doug Chinnery often talks about a "tingle" that you get when you see something emerging photography-wise, and that was certainly the case with 13... very fleeting light, just tried to make the best of it...

Thanks again all...

Best

By “van” I take you mean a campervan, which seems to me the most useful accessory after a tripod! Great images, I see why you grabbed the first one, and they get better and better as I scroll down especially the moody ones. Nice.

Nice set as usual, but 1 and 13 are super dooper.

A dream location, and you did it justice.

How can I pick a favourite among these amazing images...each and everyone a masterpiece., although I do keep being drawn back to the translucence of No. 13. I've heard so many people complaining about the weather of the West Highlands and Islands… but isn't that the true value of this region of the UK? I think you prove that here Bill.
David

Thanks Rob, Peter, Adrian and David for positivity re these...

Rob: yes, we have a T5 camper... comes into its own on trips like this... as you say, one of the best bits of photography kit around...
Adrian: Vg to see you back round these parts... you'd love it there...
David: Agreed, the weather's very much part of any place, but particularly this one...

Cheers all...

Best