Special places
I was away at the weekend, somewhere I love visiting. Somewhere that’s on my list of ‘special places’ which I’ve returned to many times for so many different reasons. I found myself wondering afterwards quite what that little phrase means – it’s so easy to say, and suddenly seemed an inadequate way to describe any of the places that have been full of so many new experiences for me.
A special place
What does it mean?
A place
A place to walk
A place for laughter, shared sorrows
A place for contemplation
A place for people
A place for playing together, growing together
A place for new friends, old friends, young friends
A place for rituals, and surprises
A place for change
A place for nature, community, spirit
A place to join together
A place for generosity and gifts
A place full of colour, shapes, action, vitality and calm,
A place for music
What does it mean?
A space
Space to run
Space to share
…and space for solitude together
Space to learn, to experiment, create, lean and stretch
Space for honesty and insight
Space to retreat and advance
Space to be
What does it mean?
Time
Time to stop
Time for beauty and shadows
Time to walk sing and dance alongside another
Time for fleeting connections and deepening bonds
Time to let go, and time to hold on
Time for thinking and emptiness
Time to focus
To share regrets, fears and hope
Time for grace
Time to feel
Time for stillness
Time to weep, in sorrow and in laughter
On the shore at Sailean, Lismore
I took this photo from the shore at Sailean on Lismore, looking up towards the abandoned croft at the back of the bay.
Croft at Sailean on the Scottish island of Lismore
I love this wee place. The combination of couple of abandoned crofts, beautiful wind battered trees, the sea, and some West coast magic, means there’s always something to photograph. We nipped over to Sailean at the start of another beautiful Lismore weekend, and we were treated to bright sunshine and tiny white clouds in a deep blue sky. I was immediately taken by the shadows the old tree was casting on the grass beside the croft.
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Lismore Lighthouse
Lismore lighthouse is on the tiny Eilean Musdile, to the South West of Lismore, in the mouth of Loch Linnhe. The Mull ferry from Oban passes close by – the sun peeked out just long enough for a photo as we were passing.
Lismore
A brief moment of evening sunshine caught on the island of Lismore, on the West coast of Scotland
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Dusk on Lismore
There’s a wee abandoned croft at Sailean on the North side of Lismore, near the community hall. It’s a lovely spot for watching the sun go down.
Kilcheran Loch on Lismore
This is a cracking wee spot on Lismore on a hot day. The loch is right in the middle of the island, and easy to miss if you’re not looking out for it. It’s a great place for a swim, too.
Landscape photo from the Scottish island of Lismore
Mairearad Green at Ceol Cholasa
Mairearad Green, acordionist
I love getting out to events and festivals around Scotland to take photos. I was invited to go to Colonsay in September, to take photos for the Poozies, and for the festival.
Here’s Mairearad Green, accordionist, playing at Ceol Cholasa.
Stones on the shore of Lismore
There’s always something ibteresting to photograph while we’re waiting for the wee ferry to arrive from Port Appin. I love these colourful stones on the shore at the North of the island.
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Homeward bound
On the ferry journey home from the festival on Colonsay, I was sprinting backwards and forwards across the deck. There was a glorious sky over Mull.
Dramatic sky over Mull
And we were treaded to some fantastic light over the mainland.
Sunshine over the West coast of Scotland
Moon over Colonsay
I’ve had a ball at the festival on Colonsay over the weekend.
There were plenty of opportunities to take photos, with several concerts each day, plus sessions and workshops, and a photoshoot with the lovely Poozies after it was all over. In between all of that happening, there were a few opportunities to get out and do some landscape photography.
Sometimes those shots are completely unplanned – I spotted this one as I cycled back from the hall after the ceilidh on Saturday night. I propped the bike against a wall with the front light still on, and used my back pack as a temporary tripod, to capture this shot.Moon rising over the brae at Scalasaig
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Looking across the Strand, Colonsay
What a fantastic trip to Colonsay! I’ve been taking photos at the Ceol Cholasa festival. I’ve never been to Colonsay before, so have also enjoyed seeing some of the sights on the island, and taking some landscape photos.
The first day we were here, the sun was out so we had a Famous Five trip on bikes, and went down to the Strand at low tide and walked over to Oransay Priory.
The Strand was all reflective.
Low tide at the Strand, between Colonsay and Oronsay
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Kiloran Bay, Colonsay
I really enjoy taking landscape photos. I can tell already that I’m going to have to return to Colonsay to see more of this wonderful island. Kiloran bay, near the North end of Colonsay, is every bit as beautiful as everyone says!
Late evening light at Kiloran Bay, Colonsay
Farm life on Lismore
Highland cow
Earlier in the year, I was on Lismore for a few days. This highland cow was all but begging to have her photo taken…what a wee poser!
Highland cow on the island of Lismore, Scotland
This photo is available to buy as a print from the Photography Scotland website shop
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Lonesome sheep on Lismore
One wee sheep, perusing the Lismore sunset
Sheep on the horizon, on Lismore Island, Scotland
Lismore trees
I’ve come home with a hoard of ’Lismore tree’ pictures. Here’s some of my favourites – all gnarled and twisted.
Lismore tree
This tree is perched high up on a wall at the back of the bay in Sailean
Tree growing from a wall at Sailean, on the island of Lismore
Trees on the North West coast of Lismore island
Sun on Lismore
On Friday I went from an ominously cloudy Oban harbour across to Lismore.
Dark clouds over Oban Bay
It was a completely different picture over on the island. It seems like it’s always sunny on lovely Lismore.
Kilcheran Loch on Lismore island
Lismore coos
Another lovely trip to a Lismore Fiddle Retreat this weekend. Full of music and fun, and a houseful of fabulous Canadians.
And this morning a couple of us had a brief impromptu photography workshop. This beauty is one way to keep a vet happy!
A nosy Highland cow
Take an action shot
I was feeling somewhat contrite after tweaking the rules in the last photo entry for the gallery, so I found two more genuine action shots this weekend. Definitely action, and definitely things I don’t usually do!
Berthing ‘the Clansman’ in Oban bay
Herding sheep on Lismore island
Sunset over Loch Linnhe
Sunset over Loch Linnhe, Scotland
I was looking through a whole load of photos from around Scotland last week, looking for images to use for Mairi Campbell’s CD launch event in May. I came across this one, which I took during my first visit to one of her Lismore Fiddle Retreat weekends. It made for a lovely peaceful lull before the evening house ceilidh started.
Sunset over Loch Linnhe
Blown away
That was a grand weekend on Lismore island…lots of good music, good company, and lovely food (voted best fiddle-weekend food by Trevor…that’s some accolade!)
It started in a flurry of uncertainty, when all the ferries were cancelled just as we were ready to leave Oban. The bay was full of moored ferries that were going nowhere…
But the intrepid ferrymen at Port Appin thought better of it, and we just snuck over to Lismore on the last boat before the storm really whipped up for the night.
Highland cow on Lismore
There’s a few Highland cows on Lismore – this one was particularly photogenic
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