Loch an Eilein
February 17, 2019
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I'd been working in the far north of Scotland and on the way home for the weekend I fancied a wild camp to see if I could bag any photos. It was pointless whizzing past all the great scenery!
I had fancied returning to Glen Feshie after a 20-year absence but eventually settled on Loch an Eilein near Aviemore as my time of arrival may only give me...
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Windy day on Wood Hill
January 31, 2019
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I've produced a second video of a walk I took up Wood Hill in the Ochil Hills. This is one of my favourite walks and I decided to share the experience.
I've still got a lot to learn, but the learnings in the making and this video, in particular, has taught me quite a lot. Some of the shots are out of focus too so I need to pay more attention but i...
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A visit to Cadderlie Bothy
January 21, 2019
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Having visited the same bothies over and over, it was time to visit a new one. My 18-year-old son, Craig, decided he would come along with Andy and me - this was hopefully going to be fun!
After some research I eventually decided that Cadderlie Bothy would be worth a visit, Andy agreed and Craig was none the wiser. It was on the banks of beautiful...
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Winter Sun
January 05, 2019
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In Scotland the sun is very low around the winter solstice, where the sun rises at 08:40 and sets at 15:40. It only gets to 11° above the horizon too which can be hazardous for drivers on a cold day with icy windscreens.
Two days after the solstice, I decided to take my dog (Digger) for a walk in Torwood, where about half of the forest has been cu...
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Hogmanay
December 22, 2018
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The late Harry Keen, who was a dear family friend, recalls his memory of New Year as a child in early 20th Century Edinburgh.
Hogmanay,
In the Scots it means, the last day of the year or, a gift given to children on New Year's Eve
Hogmanay,
the very word conjures up a mixed bag of images, from when I was a child growing up in Edinburgh, right u...
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The Dunes of Maspalomas
December 09, 2018
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I’ve never been to the Sahara Desert, but the dunes of Maspalomas, on the Island of Gran Canaria, seem like a mini-replica of the real thing and they are only ~150km off the coast from the Western Sahara. I took the time to pay them a visit so I could at least get a flavour.
As we descended over Gran Canaria, I grabbed this picture out of the wind...
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The Old Tree at Torwood Castle
November 18, 2018
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Beside Torwood Castle, in a field, stands this old chestnut tree. It is still alive, but its trunk is split at the base and it leans heavily. I call this picture "The Weight of Experience".
I've been trying to find online if this tree is notable as there are records kept of old trees around the country. Alas, I've not been able to find anything...
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Compilation video of Scotland
November 04, 2018
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I've got a habit of taking videos when I'm taking pictures so that I can remember the moment. The video is also a useful guide when processing the picture to prevent me from getting carried away with colour etc.
I was watching something on Youtube and I came across the song Serenity by Audile. When listening to the track, it inspired me to make a...
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The Weekend Hideaway
October 17, 2018
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“Do you fancy going for two nights?” asked Andy. “Of course” I answered. I would be away most of the weekend, it would be fun and that would also be my best chance to escape having to watch the X Factor.
There’s is nothing better than being out and about, even in bad weather. The weather forecast all last week was for high wind and heavy rain at t...
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Lunchtime
September 14, 2018
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Instead of sitting at my desk munching a sandwich, I've started to go for walks at lunchtime. The walks are in fact becoming more important than lunch!
This particular day, I left the office and followed a path across some fields until I joined a small country road. This road took me over the busy M9 motorway and nature was flourishing on the verg...
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An Old Friend
August 31, 2018
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When I was in my early twenties my friend was dating a girl called June. He told me that this young lady and her brother were members of a raft racing team that needed new members and asked me if I fancied trying it. Suddenly, all my summer weekends were taken up with travelling about in a Transit van with a team of ten others racing rafts in the r...
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Sandwood Bay
August 07, 2018
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Sandwood Bay is a remote beach in the far northwest of Scotland. It is isolated and beautiful with a fine bothy nearby that has an interesting history.
After having walked four miles under grey skies across dark moorland, I was confronted with this view over Sandwood bay. In the distance, the top of the Cape Wrath lighthouse could be seen and th...
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Woodland Camp
July 21, 2018
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Summer camping can be great in good weather, that is until the insects come out and eat you for dinner.
Our weather has been positively Mediterranean for weeks, dare I say months? To take advantage of this Andy invited me to bivvy at a good spot that he has found in Devilla Forest. He also decided to bring his dog Bam, who is a lot bigger than my...
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Midsummer
July 07, 2018
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In Scotland our weather is usually cloudy with plenty of rain - May and June of 2018 have been very different with clear skies and temperatures up to 30C.
Being so far north, we are actually lucky to be surrounded by sea as the sea warms the land and prevents extremes of temperature. The tradeoff, however, is lots of rain and lots of wind. Some ye...
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Glen Affric
June 24, 2018
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Glen Affric is a beautiful glen of ancient Scots Pines and soaring mountains. I'd been there before, but it was time to revisit.
Having a long weekend available, I decided to take a drive up to Glen Affric in November, for a couple of nights wild camping and to take some pictures.
It's a four-hour drive from me to get there with a further two-hou...
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© Chris Bowness