Easy straightforward hiking generally over good trails with no major ascents. The days are fairly leisurely and we spend about 6-8 hours outdoors. Terrain underfoot is mainly on paths or hill trails which may be muddy in places. Daily walks are mainly glens or coastal hikes with some ascents up to 450m (1500ft).
Based at the privately run Holly Tree Hotel in Kentallen, the former railway station has been tastefully converted into a small luxury hotel. Standing at the edge of Loch Linnhe, it features an award winning restaurant which specialises in locally sourced produce such as scallops, venison and lamb. All guests have private rooms, which are tastefully appointed with excellent en-suite facilities. The Captain’s Lounge Bar serves both local ales and a selection of malt whiskies.
Our base at the Holly Tree Hotel in Kentallen affords the best accommodation and cuisine in the area and facilitates our opportunities for dusk and dawn photography. A 0700 departure will comfortably take us into Glencoe for sunrise, returning for breakfast around 0945.
After breakfast, we will head out to another location and reposition for sunset, returning at around 1800. If time permits there may be opportunities to critique some of the day’s images in the bar before dinner. During the course of the workshop, there will be tutorials and a group critique session.
Below is a typical itinerary, which inevitably will change to take advantage of the optimum weather conditions on the day. The decision about the following days location is usually made the evening before when the most up-to-date weather forecasts have been studied.
Colin will meet you at 0900 in front of Burger King within Glasgow Central Station. After the group has assembled we will drive to the Holly Tree Hotel where we will check in. After lunch, we will head out to Glen Etive where the River Etive falls in a series of spectacular waterfalls and drive to a secluded location where Scots pine, holly and birch line the banks of a tributary river.
An early start to photograph sunrise on the Buachaille Etive Mor. Standing at the entrance to Glencoe, the Great Shepherd of Etive assumes the characteristics of a great pyramid from this angle and has become an icon of the Scottish Highlands. After returning for breakfast, we will head north to Glen Nevis. The one-hour drive will take us up a winding road to the high point which gives us access to an excellent path which takes us to the Steall Waterfall.
Another early start will take us onto the Rannoch Moor where we will have opportunities to photograph Black Mount across Lochan na-h’Achlaise. After breakfast, we will board the Corran Ferry and drive to Ardour and to Sunart oakwoods.
This morning we head for a high point which overlooks the Three Sisters in Glencoe where the rising sun will strike Bidean nam Bian and the Aonach Eagach Ridge. After breakfast, we will drive towards Bridge of Orchy where we will work on the river and re-position on Loch Tulla for sunset.
On our final morning, we will head out again for Glencoe and following breakfast will check out. Our final location, en-route to the Glasgow, will be at Kilchurn Castle, which stands at the edge of Loch Awe against the backdrop of the Dalmally Horseshoe. We will arrive back at Glasgow Central at 1500 where the workshop will conclude.
This trip starts and finishes in Glasgow. For train timetables, costs and reservations follow these links:
Colin will meet you at 0900 within Glasgow Central Station in front of Burger King.
At the end of the workshop, we will return you to Glasgow Central Station on Sunday at 1500.
The trip price is £1499 per person.
THE PRICE DOES NOT INCLUDE:
The ability to respond to Scotland’s changeable weather with appropriate clothing will enhance your enjoyment. The key is to bring comfortable clothing, which will maintain your body temperature under a variety of weather conditions.
If you are at all susceptible to the cold, a down jacket or windproof fleece is the most effective way to keep warm and can quickly change your mental outlook.
Camera bag – bring a camera bag that allows you to comfortably carry your equipment over rugged terrain. Backpacks distribute the weight between your shoulders and hips making walking much easier than a bag with a shoulder strap and are protected from wind and rain.
Tripod – the ideal tripod needs to be light enough to carry comfortably but sufficiently robust to be used in winds. A tripod engenders a more contemplative approach to photography and allows the use of slower shutters speeds. A wide range of models are available from Manfrotto and Gitzo and for more advanced photographers, carbon fibre tripods offer a lighter weight solution but essentially do the same job as those made from aluminium.
Lenses – like cameras, these come down to personal choice and ultimately will be determined by the type of subject matter normally pursued. Many photographers choose two zoom lenses; a 24-70mm and a 70-200mm, which normally account for 90-95% of the images taken. Another popular combination is 24-105mm and 100-400mm. Some photographers prefer to work with prime lenses which can offer improved performance at their designated focal lengths, however, the penalty is increased weight. If macro or photographing details within the landscape appeals to you then a 90 or 100mm Macro lens is ideal.
Filters – The most commonly used filters in digital photography are graduated neutral density filters. These differ from neutral density filters in that they allow you to control contrast locally. They come in a variety of gradations and in my experience, the most useful is a 0.6 soft and 0.6 hard. There are now many brands of graduated filters available, however, those manufactured by Lee Filters exhibit excellent neutrality. They also offer a professional filter holder which allows the gradation to be moved within the holder, relative to the horizon.
Backup and storage – Ensure that you have adequate memory cards and ideally a means of backing up your work, either to a laptop or iPad. This will also allow you to see what you have shot each day and will facilitate feedback on your images.
Remote release – essential to eradicate camera shake when the camera is mounted on a tripod.
Lens cloth – a lens cloth is useful for removing rain.
We accept bookings online, by phone and post. Booking online is straight forward and enables us to confirm your reservation immediately. Before booking, it is important that you read the relevant Trip Dossier and our Booking Terms and Conditions. If you have any doubts regarding your suitability for a trip, please contact us.
To book online, simply click the relevant link from the trip page on our website. You will then be asked to complete the online booking form and proceed to payment. All payments made are directly through Worldpay in a totally secure environment.
For online bookings, we accept payment by Maestro, Visa Electron, Visa Debit and Solo debit cards or Visa/Mastercard/American Express credit cards. Please note that there is no charge for payment by debit card but a 2% surcharge for payment by credit card. A deposit of 25% is required at the time of booking unless you are booking less than 56 days before departure. In this case, full payment of the trip price is required.
Should you prefer, you can call us with your reservation and card payment. This will enable us to confirm your place although, in all cases, we require a completed booking form (either online or by post) with details of all persons travelling. If booking by post, we accept all of the above payment methods plus cheque or bank transfer. If booking online we will confirm your booking immediately, including a copy of the Trip Dossier and an invoice for payment of the balance. If booking by any other method, we will confirm your booking within seven days of receipt.
It is a condition of booking that you are insured against medical and personal accident risks. This must include cover for the activities to be undertaken during the trip. We also strongly recommend you take out cover for cancellation and curtailment and baggage cover. We work with and recommend Campbell Irvine Insurance whose policies are specially designed for adventure holidays and are underwritten by AXA Insurance.
Insurance can be arranged directly at Campbell Irvine.