Boats racing near Craobh Haven, Argyll

Always a lovely sight, we have helped out in the past but this time we were heading home from our holiday and still in laid back mode, whilst everyone else was charging around !

racing

CORMORANTS NESTING BY THE WATERFALL

What a great spot to bring up the little ones and right beside a waterfall too! Every year we see the young birds sitting on this ledge.
click on the image to enlarge the photograph to se the birds...

Tobermorry, Mull

This is a long standing nesting spot for the Cormorants on Mull it is just next to a waterfall and the only way to see this is by boat, every year we go to Tobermorry the young are perched on this little cliff.If we are a little later we see them leaving the nest and starting to fly.They make such a big show of spreading out their wings to dry "Look Mum Look what I can do,I'm all grown up now"

Isle of Coll.

Looking back at the sea.
More images of coll to come and then we are heading for Canna with a quick stop back at Tobermory..

More Isle of Coll rock

Around and on Coll

Basking sharks off Coll

Gravestones from different times

I found this graveyard at the other side of the island and there were ancient Graves not so ancient graves and then war graves . I thought how sad it was that there were people here so far from home but then what a truly beautiful place it is .. far from any city with the sound of the sea you couldn't get anywhere more peaceful. I wonder if the relatives of these people know where they lie.One gravestone has no name which is so sad. The ancient church here is all but gone.
It was the most fantastic summers day and I spent the whole day exploring.

Island church

The road to the other side of the Island

amazing rocks on Coll

FOR GINA SOME COLOUR !

Iv added this summer evening towards Shuna image because Gina from Rosethistle art wanted a bit of colour so this is for you Gina!
Most of my photographs are black and white because Iwent through a black and white phase but Im heading back to colour so as my blog progresses so you will see more colour ;-)

HEADING OFF AGAIN

STANDING STONES ON THE ISLAND OF ULVA

Here are a couple of images of standing stones in the bay on the west side of the Island of Ulva. It was such a beautiful day when i went exploring here. someone has obviously bought this cottage in the background and making it good. What a place to live!

standing stones

RUIN OF THE OLD MILL ON ISLAND OF ULVA

The little pathway headed towards an old ruined mill on Ulva. What a bother I had to find this as the bracken was very high, a walker wondering past got the shock of his life when I called out to him to ask if he could stand still till I got to him through all the grass bracken nettles and bushes!. I had been rowed ashore by my gallant other half to what I thought according to the map was a spot right next to the path but it was the middle of summer and the overgrowth was massive!

Old ruin Mill on Ulva Island

The old Mill

BUILDINGS ON THE ISLAND OF GOMETRA

Gometra window

Stonework of the Islands houses

Some more buildings on Gometra Island on the west coast of Scotland

Gometra had a small school for the local children and it is set in the most amazing place. Long closed now of course. I am afraid my photographs do not do this amazing and beautiful spot justice but I will revisit and take some colour photographs next time..
This shows Gometra school close up. You can see the owner of the Island has at least tried to save these buildings from decay..

Gometra school in the distance

GOMETRA PART 1

This is my haven its a little spot we anchor at to the west off Mull. The Island is called Gometra..I will add more photographs from this Island on my next blog so keep an eye out! People are still living here and the Island has been bought by a great landlord farmer who has been putting roofs on all the old buildings and at least preserving them...including the tiny little old old School...

TOBERMORY. MULL

This photograph was taken up the hill,looking down on the little town of Tobermory.We stop off here every year to get food and books ( great bookshop)and have the odd glass of cold beer ( great pubs).I love the island the food is great and the butcher's is something else, you just cannot get steaks like them anywhere else in Scotland ..In my view! The bakery is great, there is a fantastic Jewellers with one off masterpieces made in the workshop. A great Island Pottery and so many artists and talented people live on this Island I just love it..add that together with great scenery and you really have a little gem!
This island was the inspiration for my painting "Colourful Places" ( go to my link at red bubble). Main street Tobermory is famed for its colourful houses

A slightly different view of Tobermory ( Mull) taken from up above the harbour one hot summers day last year.

View from the big hotel Tobermory looking out to the sound of Mull. I can tell you its a steep climb and it was the most fantastic hot day last July. I strolled past people sitting in their gardens and wondered if they just got used to this view or whether they woke every morning and thought how lucky am I!

MEETING PLACES

YOU CAN SEE HOW LONG THIS HAS BEEN A PLACE OF GATHERING AND THE HIGH'S AND LOWS OF THE TIDES.

A LOVELY SUMMER EVENING SIGHT.

SEA MOODS

BIRDS

The Island of Skye

Skye one misty wet grey summers day

The Skye bridge ..many did not want it but it happened anyway.

I crammed my neck to get this shot as we passed under it one summer.

CREATIVE PEOPLE

These are not typical of the shops on Skye but, like all Islands, and my reason for loving them so, is the fact that there are quirky corners, amazing characters and everything that seems to me to be lost on the mainland is still surviving like little pockets of treasures still to be found far away from our busy concrete throwaway world. Using what is available,individuality,and a sense of humour all this escapes from the people into the surroundings and cannot help but make you smile.

Magestic mountains on Skye

I took this photograph whilst we were motoring past Skye one very moody summers day.

BASKING SHARK

This was the most amazing experience.On coming out of Canna one summer we saw in the distance a group of basking sharks as we approached we switched off our engine and sat in awe watching a group of about 15 of these amazing creatures. Most were feeding around our boat including one which was around 30 ft mouth wide consuming the rich plankton in the sea.
I'm afraid that I only managed the fin,I'm no expert photographer!

CANNA

I CAME ACROSS THIS LITTLE SHRINE ON A WALK AROUND CANNA, THE SUN WAS SHINING THROUGH THE LITTLE STAINED GLASS WINDOW.

RUIN OF THE GRAND HOUSE. ISAY

The Island that the house sits on is called Isay and is situated off the tip of Skye. It has a very nasty history with the owner of the Island and the houses being a Roderick of lewis. Roderick invited all the occupants of the houses from the now ruined street to a banquet,informing all who lived on the island that there would be news of great importance to them. Once at the banquet he murdered every one of them so that his heirs would inherit his lands.

The Island was bought in the 60's by Donovan.


Here you can see the remains of the old staircase. Further photographs of this building are below and seen in the distance from the street of blackhouses below.

EXPLORING THE BIG HOUSE ISAY

A closer look at the ruin of the big house on Isay.There was a lark singing in the ruins the day I explored and out of a 3 weeks trip it was the one fantastic hot day we had.Throughout my exploring of this Island I was watched by a seal in the bay who kept bobbing up his head to watch me.

WEST COAST IMAGES

please note: I was trying out different filters with all these photographs if they look a bit odd thats why!

CLEAR ISLAND WATER

LITTLE BIRD SWIMMING IN MULL