Wildlife watching and Landscape photography
Looking for a slow adventure on Skye? Highly recommended is a day or half day with Stewart Dawber of http://skyehighwildlife.com . Stewart, a professional photographer and wildlife expert whose knowledge and patience is impressive. Is a “master” of the world of “light touch” in the environment. Time spent with Stewart gets you close to wildlife and experience out of the way locations. If your interest is landscape photography look no further. Whether it is tutoring with your equipment or locations to develop your skills Stewart will take you on a memorable slow adventure.
Slow Adventure
I spent a day with Stewart at the beginning of March ’18, we met in the carpark at Broadford and headed down to the Sleat peninsula. From roadside sites, backwater shore locations to a ramble on the hill every moment brought a new experience. The pace is slow, with regular stops to observe minute detail – “ah see these marks on the rock – it’s a regular perch point for the Golden Eagles.” “Oh look here, there’s a breast feather from an eagle”. Seeing the pair soaring high above us as they patrolled their territory over the Sleat hills was inspiring, the where-abouts of their nest irrelevant! A female otter frolicking with her cubs and a heard of red dear all added to our “catch” for the day.
Reading the landscape
Hunkered down behind a rock looking out to the small isles Stuart points out some “frames” for a landscape photo of the view – pan in, pan out what should I do? “well think about the light and let’s wait for a few minutes for the clouds to pass” – yep this is slowing down, this is getting close to the landscape.
More treats………
All too quickly we were back at the jeep but there were more treats in store – a wonderful spectacle of a raven performing a sky dance – who is he trying to impress? Ah, there she is, just away by the burn perched on a rowan tree. – a home bake “bridie” (pastie) with hot chocolate and then on for the grand finale, a visit to the Gaelic Whiskys http://www.gaelicwhisky.com/index.asp at Eilean Iarmain . With 3 award winning whiskys to try – Poit Dhubh, pronounced ‘potch ghoo’ and literally meaning ‘black pot’ being Gaelic for an ‘illicit still’,: Té Bheag – ‘the little lady’ and also ‘a wee dram’ in colloquial Gaelic and MacNaMara, literally ‘Son of the Sea’ being a lighter blended whisky – what a way to end the day!
