“Mountains, Clouds, and Shadows” — Clouds shadows drift across mountain terrain on the Isle of Skye.
I know I’ve mentioned this before, but one thing that impresses about the mountains of Scotland is that they have the appearance alpine terrain in my California High Sierra. There are few or no trees, the only vegetation is the sort that lies under your feet if you walk through it. The peaks are sharp and rugged and rocky. The entire landscape — mountains, streams, valleys — is laid bare. In the Sierra I must go well above 10,000′ to see this. In Scotland it begins barely above sea level.
“Eilean Donan Castle, Inner Sea” — Eilean Donan Castle, reflected in the waters of the Inland Seas of Scotland.
I have written before that we (or at least I) don’t always know everything ahead of time about places we visit. While it isn’t good to be completely ignorant, I think that this allows for surprises and “discoveries” and sometimes takes you to places and experiences you might otherwise miss. Anyway, that is my excuse for arriving here, on the drive from Inverness to the Isle of Skye, unaware of the remarkable Eilean Donan Castle.
“Little Sur River and Beach” — The Little Sur River meets the Pacific Ocean on the Big Sur Coast.
I confess to having photographed this scene quite a few times. I live close enough to Big Sur that I can drive down for a morning of photography and be home for a late lunch. This spot, where the Little Sur River flows across Little Sur Beach and into the Pacific Ocean, has always intrigued me. I stop and at least take a look almost every time I am down there.
“Slioch and Loch Maree” — Snow-dusted peak of Slioch towers above Loch Maree.
The impressive, fortress-like mountain is Slioch, one of the Scottish peaks that reaches above 3000′. We passed by after driving south from Ullapool, Scotland, then cutting west toward Torridon and later heading to Applecross, on the coast looking westward toward the Isle of Skye. The route passes all sorts of beautiful country — coastal bays, long valleys, lochs, tall peaks.
