The Photography of Dr. Jeffrey P. Harper

My wife's sister visited from Hong Kong . . . that meant a ROAD TRIP back along the locks and islands of the west of Scotland.  We had wonderful weather . . .

The joy of driving around the west of Scotland is the ever-changing vistas of the lochs and fjords.

The Scottish vistas often include a castle, or castle ruin or two.

There are so many things to see and photograph along the way.

We were in full explore mode: driving down a small road, I saw a sign that said 'smokehouse next right' . . . which led us through an enchanted, mossy wood.

We stopped at the smokehouse and had wonderful fish and corn chowder . . . afterward I explored the nearby forest.

Our route brought us back to the port town of Oban (for the 4th time!).  My wife and her sister loved the oysters there: "The Best Oysters In The World" they both proclaimed!

The light around Oban is very special.

The sunset that night was magical: the sun, the sea, the surfaces, the story, the clouds reflecting . . .

I wasn't the only person who found the sunset captivating.

OK, one more irresistible Oban harbour sunset.

The gorse was in fine yellow bloom as we headed out over the bridge leading north from Oban.

Lovely old train trestle along our way to the sea.

While skirting the end of Loch Ern in a driving rain squall, we came upon the famous Mirror Man of Loch Ern.  I stopped for some photos when . . .

. . . I could see a squall line of rain approaching me . . .

. . . looking left, out of the corner of my eye, I spotted this fleeting rainbow and shot off a few snaps.  A once in a lifetime photo!

The Mirror Man lends himself to black & white photography.

We made it to Loch Duich which led us back to the famous Eilean Donan Castle . . . again.

I was here just at Eilean Donan Castle one month ago . . . but in a driving sleet and snow storm.  Today there was sun.

A lovely castle . . . although NOT as ancient as you would think . . .

The tourist season began only one week before our trip . . . and the big tours and thousands of visitors had not yet arrived here.  In July/August you can forget about parking within a mile of this wonderful castle.

Our hotel in the Kyle of Lochalsh had a magnificent view of the Bridge of Sky.  Did I mention we had hand-dived scallops to die for at the Waterside Seafood Restaurent.

The beautiful Skye Bridge and lighthouse.

As you drive on to the Isle of Skye you immediately see a difference in geology.

There was not as much snow on the Skye peaks as there was a month ago.

Light danced across the sloping valleys and hills.

We hiked up the well-developed trail to a wonderful view point about half way up The Old Man of Storr.

The view from The Storr was breathtaking.

We had fun just following the small roads from the map and discovering what was there to be seen.

Great scenery on the Isle of Skye.

Continuous headlands and lochs . . . plus ocean view!

The Skye headlands.

It must be hard to make a living out here . . .

Loch Dunvegan, where we had a fantastic gourmet lunch at the famous Three Chimneys.

A tradition stone house at a Uig heritage museum.

We spent two nights out on Skye.  We had to drive back by Eilean Donan on our way to Inverness . . . but it was clear and the water was still for some good castle reflection photos.

This is the photo everybody seems to want of this castle.

I love this view of the castle and the loch . . .

MORE TO COME . . . .

A map of the Isle of Skye and our route marked in purple . . . and of our whole road trip in purple on the insert map.

A winters' drive across western Scotland.

It was a five and a half hour drive from my home in Aberdeen to the Eilean Donan Castle in a heavy rain storm. I would stay the night nearby before crossing over to the Isle of Skye.

Amazing Scotland.

A cold mid-February day at the bridge to the Isle of Skye.

The Bridge of Skye opened in 1995.

The geography/geology of the Isle of Skye is like nothing else in the United Kingdom.

The roads on the Isle of Skye are narrow and, in general, hug the shore.  Many small waterfalls cascade all along the way.

As the road rises and falls along the sea, wonderful, moody vistas open up.  Here, an approaching snow squall creeps up the channel.

Occasional white cottages surprise along a green glen now and again.

The tiny roads wind along the seaside for miles and miles . . . always opening out on astonishing vistas.

Even the farmland had a strangeness abut it: the marks of time and human effort etched into its weird shapes.

The damp sleet and rain brought out the colors of the winter heather and straw.

Hillside waterfalls everywhere, nautical vistas, winter colors: Skye!

I stopped for coffee in the little town of Sligachan and this was my view from the cafe.

I was able to satisfy my lifelong lust for rusty corrugation and dilapidation on Skye.

Now and again I would pull over, eyes wide and mouth agape in wonder at the natural beauty of winter on Skye. Historical Sligachan Bridge.

The ever-changing weather on Skye sent me running for my car many  times.

Dustings of snow on the coastal hills of Skye.

The Skye upland pass . . . peat diggers have been here.

A marvel of geology.

The Isle of Skye is a popular destination in the seasons other than winter for rock climbers and mountaineers.

Waterfalls and wild mountain streams falling everywhere.

Wet and wild road across the Isle of Skye.

Farming, and shepherding, fishing, and tourism make up the local economy.

Marshland, inlets, heather, snow-capped peaks, wild weather, grand vistas . . . Skye has it all!

The clouds would break momentarily and sunny scenes would suddenly appear . . . I would pull over wherever I could and snap a few shots before running back to the car as the hail, sleet and snow quickly moved in.  A level 9 landscape photographers' challenge!

Boggy marsh, colorful hills, a cascading stream, and sheep.

Nature posing in a beautiful composition . . . just for me.

I had hoped to drive to the western tip of Skye, but my many stops for photos meant I only made it as far as Portree, a sweet village on the sound.  I had delicious soup and a shrimp sandwich in a small shop and chatted with a nice couple from Edinburgh.

On my way off the Isle of Skye in a strong gale in the fading winter light, I stopped and walked back up the Skye Bridge for a shot of the old lighthouse.

The view off the other side of the Bridge of Skye was up Loch Alsh toward the town of Kyle of Lochalsh.

In the last of the blue evening light . . . the view from the bridge across to the little village of Kyleakin ("Its name derives from 'Strait of Haakon' named after the King Haakon IV of Norway whose fleet moored there prior to the Battle of Largs in 1263 which ended Norwegian rule of the island.")

Sacks of scallop shells attest to the main product of the local fisheries.

I stayed in the little village of Dornie, just across the bridge and next to the much photographed Eilean Donan Castle.

My comfortable old Dornie Hotel.

I saw Eilean Donan castle morning and night.

The never tired of the view across Loch Duich:  Quintessential Scotland.

Eilean Donan in a driving sleet struck with the golden light of the setting sun.

My old Dornie Hotel was walking distance from the magnificent castle, so I walked over one evening to see it lit up in the darkness.  There were ghostlike traces about the sky that night.

This image, taken during a hard rain, popped out of my camera looking like this . . . . no explanation whatsoever.

My drive back home took me first up the A87 through rugged Glen Shiel toward Loch Ness.

Glen Sheil will lined on both sides by snow covered peaks that disappeared up into the white snowy mists.

Surrounded by snowy mountains, freshly coated.

I stopped often to photograph the stark winter beauty of Glen Sheil.

Glen Sheil winter vista near Loch Cluanie.

Snow on the Sgùrr Fhuaran.

Coming down out of Glen Sheil.

Snowy mountain tops disappearing in the falling snow above.

The snow came and went . . .

Around every bend . . . a new view.

Winter along the shores of Loch Cluanie.

First sighting of an old bridge.

I stopped along the River Moriston to gape at the old stone bridge in the freezing wind.

The drive through Glen Moriston offered many place to stop and enjoy and appreciate the views.

Winter road trips can be just as beautiful, if not more so, that any other season.

Forest reflections.

A magical experience to be standing out in a light rain in the silence of a forest stream.

Further along the road toward Loch Ness.  The damp winter colors were spectacular.

Had it been dry I would have walked down among this mystic grove.

I took many, many photos of Eilean Donan Castle. Many.  How could you not photograph this iconic landscape.

A lasting memory of my breathtaking winter sojourn to the Isle of Skye.

The drive was magnificent.