A multi-glen photography tour
The mountains of Glencoe in the evening sunlight
For all the first-world problems we face and like to have a good old moan about, it’s easy to overlook just how lucky we are to live in Scotland. An hour or so from home and I'm driving along one of my happy places and into some of the most beautiful locations in the world. This was to be a short tour with an overnight camping stop in the heart of Glencoe to take in some of the Autumn colours and sights, especially now that the holiday makers have begun to trudge back to work.
The 200 mile circular route was to take in Glen Orchy and the mighty River Orchy (a river on which I’m even more fortunate to own some Salmon fishing rights), Glen Etive (Skyfall and all that business), Glencoe and the beautiful Glencoe Lochan, and finally the peaceful woodlands of Glen Creran.
With the chaos of recent stormy weather behind us, day one was set fair with bright blue Autumn skies and a few fluffy clouds to add interest. The Bongo-slow drive from Loch Fyne at Inveraray, up over the high pass to Loch Awe was rendered to a crawl behind a massive vehicle recovery crane. Someone’s had a bad day… When it finally pulled over and we resumed cheerily through Dalmally and onto the winding, narrow, familiar pass through Glen Orchy, we were waved down by a driver coming the other way. A lorry had come off the narrow road further along the glen - hence the huge crane about to make an appearance behind us. What on earth possessed a lorry driver to take this route? Did it fall into the river? Cue a rapid 32-point turn and a rapid-ish escape back the way we came before the crane arrived. We would have to travel via the main road through Glen Lochy instead - picturesque in itself, but it would need more scouting time than I had to find photo opportunities. Glen Orchy will be there next time. Onto Rannoch Moor…
Autumn Birch Trees on one of the many tiny islands of Rannoch Moor
I love driving across the massive high plateau of Rannoch Moor. At 1,000+ feet above sea level, it’s exposed and brutal in the wind and snow. The narrow, yet scarily fast A82 trunk road cuts through the scene of many accidents and collisions with roaming deer, but the views are truly awesome and ever-changing. We stop by the side of the road for a brief photography hike to some of the many mirror-calm lochans in these boggy wetlands. The Autumn sunlight catches the stunted, gnarly foliage of trees that manage to grow here. I could spend weeks here and never stop shooting.
Then someone turns up the awesome dial another few notches as Glencoe and the mighty Buachaille Etive Mòr (we just call it ‘The Buckle’) loom into view. Sure, it’s not the Alps or the Rockies, but the extreme, ever changing weather adds spice and mood to a million holiday snaps and just as many professional photos. Bright blue skies are not really the best conditions for photography, so we take a few snaps and hang a left for the 12 mile slalom down to Loch Etive. The river is low today, and the normally picturesque falls are just a trickle of their usual raging selves. We stop for a few photos and snacks along the way, breathing in the sheer majesty of the mountains, accompanied by the roar of rutting deer echoing through the glen. I no longer get that photographer’s panic or disappointment when conditions aren’t perfect; I’ll capture the moment as I see it, knowing that I haven’t invested holiday time or thousands of pounds to travel here. I could pop back next week if I wanted to. As I said; lucky.
Glen Etive with the Autumn rut in full swing
Our camping site for the night is the excellent Camping and Caravanning Club site at Glencoe. It’s still and mild and we’re spoiled with an electric hook-up and warm, spotless facilities. I also know that the views of the glen from here are outstanding; some of the highest peaks in the region sit behind the ubiquitous views of the Three Sisters, so I find a suitable vantage point and set up my Fujifilm XT-5 for a panoramic shot of the beasts, bathed in evening sunlight. We sit quietly outside the van, drinking wine and listening to the deer and the owls until it’s time to squeeze into our tiny camper van.
The following morning remains calm, if not quite as sunny. A pleasant walk around pretty Glencoe Lochan kick-starts the day with a riot of Autumn colour and reflections. So many shots, so little time… The only fly in this morning’s ointment being a family walking the same route who would just not stop talking / shouting / whining at a volume that challenged the rutting deer for supremacy. They eventually left, leaving those remaining to enjoy the tranquility.
The Pap of Glencoe across Glencoe Lochan
The final leg of our mini adventure was a diversion along Glen Creran to Glasdrum Wood Nature reserve and then deeper into this peaceful, beautiful glen for a longer hike through the woodlands, admiring the imposing loch-side mansions and soaking up the seasonal colours and sounds. Perhaps not the best conditions for photography (a little woodland mist would have added wonderful atmosphere), but a real treat nevertheless.
I know that I could repeat this journey many times and will never capture the same images. It’s wonderful.
