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).
The accommodation is a Scandinavian style wilderness with a spacious interior and eight bedrooms. The rooms are located on the upper level while the ground floor consists of a large lounge and open plan kitchen, which is used only for tea and coffee –all meals, including breakfast, are served in the restaurant. Shared bathroom facilities are adjacent to the kitchen, with showers, basins, and toilets – there are no en-suite rooms.
Freshly prepared, locally sourced meals are enjoyed in the adjacent ‘Taste of Scotland’ accredited restaurant and are a real highlight of the trip, with freshly caught seafood a particular specialty. Special dietary requirements can be catered for. The restaurant is licensed and offers an excellent choice of wines, beers, and spirits.
The Knoydart peninsula is one of the remotest parts of the Scottish mainland and is not connected to the road network. The best way to travel is by boat and the Mary Doune, which is privately chartered, will take us on a new adventure each day. The boat journeys themselves add great value to the experience and it is not uncommon to see, sea eagles, dolphins, whales and a wide variety of seabirds.
We are based at Doune, which is located in a remote, bay and is the perfect base for the ultimate getaway. Our accommodation is a Scandinavian style wilderness lodge and all meals are served in the adjacent award-winning restaurant.
Our day begins with breakfast at 0800 with an informal briefing of the proposed activities for the day. We will set off aboard the Mary Doune to our chosen destination – a journey that normally takes around an hour where we will photograph throughout the morning and break for freshly made packed lunches. The afternoon location usually involves another short boat trip to a second location and we will return to Doune at around 1730 where there may be opportunities to critique some of the day’s images or enjoy a drink overlooking the bay before settling down to the gastronomic delights of Doune’s restaurant. During 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 each day’s location is usually made the evening before when the most up-to-date weather forecasts have been studied.
Day 1 – Pickup from Mallaig – Doune
We meet in Mallaig which is easily reached by car or train via the spectacular West Highland Railway Line. Mallaig has plenty of long term parking which is free and where vehicles can be left for the duration of the workshop. A short 20-minute boat journey will take us to Doune on the tip of the Knoydart peninsula. After an informal introduction of the group and to the facilities at Doune, we meet for dinner.
Day 2 – Muck
After breakfast, we meet aboard the Mary Doune and head south-west to the island of Muck. Our anchorage is a secluded bay where coral sands are backed by rocky terraces on which a large colony of common seals resides. The bird life is often prolific with oystercatchers, ringed plover, dunlin and common gulls defending their territories from unwelcome visitors. We head up and onto a higher headland which has spectacular views overlooking Rum, Eigg and Skye, and if tidal conditions permit cross to Horse Island. Returning over Muck’s single road takes us to the tea shop where refreshments are available before our departure back to Doune.
Day 3 – Loch Hourn
As we enter the mouth of Loch Hourn, which is essentially a fjord, the view north is dominated by Beinn Sgritheall – one of the steepest mountains in Scotland. We continue up past Ladhar Bheinn and Barrisdale Bay to one of the most beautifully wooded parts of the glen. To the north, the lower slopes of Druim Fada are covered with sessile oak, birch and rowan, whilst on the southern slopes stands of ancient Scots pine cover the landscape.
Day 4 – Eigg – The Bay of Laig
Heading out in a south-westerly direction today, we travel down the east side of Eigg and arrive at the harbour an hour later. Here we transfer into a mini-bus and take a 20-minute drive to the Bay of Laig on the eastern side of the island. The Rum Cuillin rise vertically from sea level to almost 1000m and create a superb backdrop for photography in the bay. Two distinct areas provide endless photographic opportunities: the coral sand beach and the rocky shoreline where cannonball concretions are framed by the Rum Cuillin.
Day 5 – Skye – Loch Eishort – Boreraig
Rounding the Point of Sleat – the most southerly point on Skye we head over to Loch Eishort where the full Cuillin Ridge rises before us. Our destination today is to Boreraig, an isolated spot on the shores of Loch Eishort where the remains of a pre-crofting township stand. It was from here in 1853 that Lord MacDonald forcibly evicted 120 men, women and children. Ammonites can be found in the limestones rocks.
Day 6 – Rum
Rum’s rugged coastline is a landscape of contrasts. From towering sandstone cliffs to secluded sandy beaches, its underlying geology has created some fantastic photographic locations. At Guirdil the sea has channelled a cave through a sandstone headland and south, in another bay, lies a Torridonian sandstone boulder field where brightly coloured lichens can be found.
Day 7 – Canna and Sanday
We head along the east side of Rum towards, Canna’s the north cliffs which rise 200 metres from the sea. These are home to thousands of the breeding seabirds, which include, puffin, razorbills, shags, kittiwakes and white-tailed eagles. In the afternoon, we will sail to Sandy to photograph the basalt stacks on which a large colony of puffins’ nest.
Day 8 – Return to Mallaig
Following breakfast, we board the Mary Doune for the final time and return to Mallaig. For those travelling by rail, we arrive at 0830 in time to catch the morning train back to Glasgow.
This trip starts and finishes in Mallaig. For train timetables, costs and reservations follow these links:
Colin will meet you on the platform at Mallaig Railway Station at 1750 on Saturday. The time coincides with the arrival of the train from Glasgow.
Our boat will be moored in the harbour less than five minutes away. On the final Saturday, we will return you to Mallaig at 0930 in time to connect with rail services south.
The trip price is £1725 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 outlook.
Lightweight boots
Waterproof jacket and trousers
Hat for sun protection or warmth
Optional: sunglasses, sunscreen, and lip salve
Cameras – Camera equipment is very much a personal choice and is dependent on individual preference, budget, and experience. Whether you shoot with a 35mm DSLR or a mirror-less system is unimportant. What is important, however, is that you are familiar with your camera’s layout and menu structure and the difference between shooting modes. An understanding of the relationship between shutter speed, aperture and ISO is essential.
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 normally weather-proofed.
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 the 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 aluminum.
Lenses – like cameras, these come down to personal choice and 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 will account for 90-95% of the images taken with only two lenses. Another popular combination is 24-105mm and 100-400mm. Some photographers prefer to work with prime lenses which offer improved performance at their respective focal lengths however, it usually means carrying more weight. If exploring the intimate landscape interests you, then a 90/100mm Macro lens can be 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 luminosity locally. They come in a variety of densities and gradations but in my experience, the most useful is a 0.6 soft and 0.6 hard. Several brands of ‘grads’ are available but by far the best is manufactured by Lee Filters. They also offer a professional filter holder which allows the gradation to be moved within the holder, relative to the scene. A polarising filter is useful for removing reflections from water and increasing contrast. Many photographers favour Lee’s ‘Big Stopper’ which transforms water and clouds into amorphous forms by increasing the exposure by 10 stops.
Backup and storage – Ensure that you have adequate memory cards and a means of backing up your work, either on a laptop, iPad or supplementary hard drive. Bringing your own laptop will allow you to see what you have shot each day and will facilitate critique sessions.
Remote release – essential to eradicate camera shake when the camera is mounted on a tripod.
Spare batteries – cold will adversely affect battery life so make sure you have extras.
Lens cloth – useful for removing rain or sea spray.
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.