Scotland 2012 -part 1

Scotland, or more specifically the Western Highlands, are a truly spectacular place to visit.  I visited with Jo and Alfie last week.  We stopped at the Kirnan Estate in a glen called Kilmichael Glassary which is just outside Lochgilphead which is on the banks of Loch Gilp and Loch Fyne.

The Kirnan estate is a privately owned estate set in over 600 acres of it's own Forest and gardens and offers 3 cottage type accomodation.  We were booked into the Heron cottage and was our base for further exploration over the week we were there.

You can view the website here to see photos of the Kirnan estate Kirnan estate

We ventured into the estates woods nearly every day to walk Alfie and look for deer and spot the birdlife.  There are three types of deer in the woods, Red, Roe and Sika along with Red Squirrel.  On our last night we went deep up onto the ridge and found a quiet place to watch the deer unobserved and once comfortable opened the whisky i had thoughtfully carried up in my photo bag!  Watch out for a photo taken here.

We drove around extensively, exploring ,and went as far south as the Mull of Kintyre and as far north as the Isle of Skye and all places in between including Oban, Fort William and Inveraray. The weather was great, as England was drowning under it's wettest ever drought!?, we had sunshine all week with only the odd overcast day and odd shower. 

The wildlife lived up to expectations and i was able to capture on film Deer/Stags, Seals and best of all an Otter!  I was able to tick off birds i'd never seen before which included Stonechat, Whinchat, Wheatear and best of all a Redpoll.  Good to make aquaintence again with a Scotland only british bird, the Hooded crow and saw Buzzards and an Eagle.  The only problem i have is that i could not be sure if it was the famed Golden Eagle or Sea Eagle as the lighting conditions only gave me a sillhouette so i could'nt see the colouring.

Enjoy the photo's and i'll expand on the holiday with each photo.

Kirnan House, it's grounds, gardens and our cottage. 

It sat halfway up the Glen hillside and had it's own private driveway

up to the house.  We never locked the door once.

We met some of the locals in the local pub on the day of our arrival.

We'd nipped down for an evening meal and had a laugh with the locals

and sat through a power cut for an hour..bottles of scotch don't need power!

On the way up and have stopped at the historic village of LUSS on the banks

of Loch Lomand for a break.  Were just leaving the storm clouds of England behind.

There was a traditional Scottish wedding going on at the local church, kilts galore and the bagpipes

were playing, a great welcome to Scotland!

A further break in Inveraray and a peculiar weather phenomenom. A cyclonic weather cell was trying to develop above the town and the winds and clouds were circulating rapidly in a circular

motion. It became very dark, hail begain forming but it dissapated before it could fully develop.



A quick video of the strange devloping weather cell.  See how dark it became, the birds disappearing quickly and the hail beginning to drop.