Skye: day 2 – above Uig

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Skye, WalksLeave a comment

Sunday 7 January: another quiet Skye day – some sunshine, no wind, maybe a spot or two of rain. Parking at the triangle, where the Kilmuir road begins its climb to the hairpin bend and beyond: I’ll walk as far as that bend (endless hours of fun when the tour coaches meet the local bus…) then take to the hill. A good path rises gently to Uig’s landmark headland Creagile. It’s no height – perhaps 300ft above the sea below – but a great viewpoint for the coast to the north and the distant isles. It’s also a great place to watch the 2.30 ferry set out across a calm sea to Lochmaddy, North Uist.

Those spots of rain have timed it nicely – I’m back to the start, it’s not long after 3pm, and it will soon be getting dark…

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First signs?

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Tuesday 16 January: I’m back from my trip to Skye. Before I begin posting the photos from those remarkable days up there, I need a local leg-stretch. It’s familiar ground, and none the worse for that. Going by the Met. Office’s definition (the calendar months of December, January and February) we’re half-way through winter now – I’m going to look for any early signs of the spring that will surely come in just over six weeks.

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Skye in January

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It can be horrendous, with howling gales and lashing rain; however, last week while I was there the weather was kind to me. It was the calmest period I can remember on the island, with lots of sunshine and three days of clear blue skies. Admittedly, the hours of sunshine are very short up there at present. It was very cold, with some hard frosts – a bonus, as the mud I’d expected was hard-frozen!

I left Skye last Saturday, by rail from Kyle of Lochalsh, and travelled down to Dunbar, where I stayed a couple of nights before heading for home yesterday (bringing with me hundreds of photos to work through). I’ll post a selection over the next week or so; in the meantime, here’s a taster – one from each day…

2024: a bright start

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, WalksLeave a comment

…but it’s going to cloud over, and it will rain (again!) later. And tomorrow. We’d hoped for better by now (let’s hope the year performs better than the weather). Anyway, if somewhat muddy underfoot in places, it’s a very enjoyable morning’s wander in the woods and the quiet lanes between Benthall Hall, Wyke and Posenhall (just a short stretch of busier road between the latter and the end of Benthall Lane, and I get the feeling than many must be sleeping off last night’s excesses).

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Severnside structures

On By geoffspagesIn Photography, Shropshire hills, WalksLeave a comment

A short morning walk – it could rain later, but it should stay bright before lunchtime. I’ll set out across the Free Bridge, cross the river again by the memorial footbridge, then head down past the china works to Coalport Bridge. There’s some blue sky now, but I’m on the shady side of the valley and the sun’s not really trying anyway. Half-an-hour after I’ve arrived home, it’s raining…

View OS map on Streetmap http://www.streetmap.co.uk/map?X=368755&Y=302490&A=Y&Z=120