Port Nahaven, Port Charlotte And A Wee Dram At Ardbeg

I looked forward to photographing picturesque seaside villages in Scotland, and Islay had them in spades. I love the look of the historic homes; the way they cluster on the cliffs, braced against wind and tide. At the Port Charlotte Hotel I had my first taste of Haggis, and enjoyed it a lot. We also stopped at the Ardbeg distillery for afternoon tea - not the whiskey one might expect, but if a wee dram is required, Islay's eight distilleries can certainly supply that.

Main Street, Port Charlotte

Rooms With A View, Port Charlotte

Beach, Lighthouse, Port Charlotte

Ardbeg Distillery - Time For Tea!

Ardbeg Beach

Suburbia, Port Nahaven

Homes By The Bay, Port Nahaven

Kildalton And Surrounds

We stopped at Kildalton to visit the magnificent, world renowned High Cross and Old Parish Church. The history here is overwhelming; the Cross dates from the mid 8th Century, while the Church has been traced to the 1300s. I spent some time shooting the surrounding area, which is bleak and windblown but offers up superb vistas. It's also home to many farms, with accompanying sheep - so many sheep!

Kildalton High Cross

Kildalton Plain

Parish Church, With Grave Slabs

Pastoral Landscape, With Sheep

All images copyright 2013, Kathy Neudorf

Home For The Holidays, Finlaggan

The lovely coastal village of Bowmore was home base during our stay on Islay. It was full of old world charm, with now familiar buildings, ocean and wind. A few things were foreign to my North American sensibilities, like turning off the power at electrical outlets and hanging out laundry to dry. Islay residents use their resources wisely. From Bowmore we traveled to Finlaggan, an important historical landmark dating from the 13th century. Notice all that blue sky? So much for the myth that Scotland is gray and gloomy. We had sunshine every day!

Bowmore Beach, Bruichladdich Across The Bay

Washing At Izzy's

Seaweed And Stones, Bowmore

Ruins at Eilean Mòr, Finlaggan, With The Famous Paps Of Jura

The Navigator And The Historian Walk Finlaggan Path

Onward To Islay

Most of our time was spent on Islay (pronounced Eye-la), a beautiful, untamed island in the Southern Hebrides. Visiting Islay is like turning back the clock; steeped in legend, its history spans many centuries. The countryside is wild and rugged, and the wind is a relentless companion. We began our Islay adventure with a walk through scenic Bridge End, followed by a drive on the Oa, where we were transfixed by twilight views of Carraig Fhada Lighthouse and the Old Church Cemetery at Kilnaughton Bay.

Dry Stone Wall, Bridge End

Pond, Bridge End

Old Church Cemetery, Kilnaughton Bay

Carraig Fhada Lighthouse, Kilnaughton Bay

Crinan, County Argyll

Crinan is a beautiful little village on Scotland's West Coast. It is perhaps best known for its canal, which stretches for nine miles and features several locks. The sea breezes are bracing, the views spectacular, and we enjoyed a delicious lunch at a very historic hotel. Who could ask for more?

Safe Haven

The Navigator And The Historian Walk The Canal

Crinan Flats

Stairwell, Crinan Hotel

Waterfront Cottage

All Images copyright 2013, Kathy Neudorf

A Wee Scottish Journey

 My trip to Scotland was amazing - we arrived in Spring, as the last gusts of Winter still blew, but the promise of Summer was in the air. Our journey began and ended in Glasgow, with many fascinating stops along the way. I could live in this place, and hope to return one day. To describe it all would take way too long, and the sights and sounds often left me speechless, so I'll just let the pictures do the talking.

One of our first destinations was Inveraray, County Argyll, ancestral home of Clan Campbell. These days it's probably best known for its perfectly preserved Castle. 

 

Inveraray Castle

Garden Vista

Castle Grounds - Note similarity to the Scottish Flag

War as Decor

Wild Daffodils

Inveraray Bridge From Castle Grounds

Kitchen Aids

All images copyright 2013, Kathy Neudorf

More Pot Pourri!

OK, lets post a few more. These days I'm revisiting older files, plus taking a few new shots. The photos below represent some recent submissions to the Langley Camera Club. The window image is a Hewlett Packard 315, taken in 2002 at McLeese Lake, British Columbia. It's been brought up to date with the help of photo editing software. I thought the coins would make a dandy macro. The Rock Creek abandoned homestead and the portrait are redos of  earlier works, refreshed by photo editing. Can you see the changes I've made?

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Next week I leave for Scotland. I'll be visiting Glasgow and the Hebridean island of Islay.  This is a 15 day bucket list trip, and I'll be packing my tripod and camera. It's the first time my gear has gone so far afield. Wish me luck!

All images copyright 2013, Kathy Neudorf

Toony Loons

Abandoned

Cyber Connection

Dusk

Randomness, With A Natural Theme

Mandala

Light Play

Angel's Rest

2012 Pot Pourri

This year has whizzed by - the photos below are taken from various shoots that were either very short or haven't been worked on yet. Enjoy, and all the best in 2013!

Copyright 2012, Kathy Neudorf

A Day At The Beach

Barn, Mayville, Washington

Bridge To Pritchard

Christmas Window, Leavenworth, Washington

Clouds On My Coffee Cup

Diva

Dessert, On The Rocks

Dark Angel

Horses

Shannon Falls

Cowgirl Can Can