A Grand Scottish Adventure

This was my first proper solo photography adventure without my usual adventure buddy Mark. Joined by my long suffering wife, who by chance is a far better natural photographer than I, we set about spending a week in Scotland, doing a little sightseeing and relaxing. During the down time when not walking around museums and famous jails, I enjoyed the  occasional opportunity to photograph the various locations and attractions permitted within a weeks holiday in and around Loch long. 

Loch Long is a body of water in Argyll and Bute, Scotland. The Sea Loch extends from the Firth of Clyde at its southwestern end. It measures approximately 20 miles (32 km) in length, with a width of between 1 and 2 miles (1.6 and 3.2 km). The loch also has an arm, Loch Goil, on its western side and is surrounded by mountains with the Arrochar Alps on the west side of the loch head. The loch forms the entire western coastline of the Rosneath Peninsula.

A TORPEDO Range was operational on Loch Long from 1912 to 1986, and the abandoned Admiralty buildings, pier and slipway remained visible on the west shore of the loch, opposite Arrochar, until 2007, when the site was destroyed by fire and demolished. Originally an Admiralty facility, the range became the Royal Naval Torpedo Testing Station and Range, referred to variously as the Loch Long Torpedo Range and the Arrochar Torpedo Range.

Settling into our hotel room on the first evening, I noticed through the windows the fading light and the interesting patterned cloud that was holding over the Arrochar Alps, whilst my wife was taking a shower, I quickly popped out to the loch side to shoot the fading light and the beginning of my first evening in Scotland..

Loch Long was historically the boundary between Argyll and Dunbartonshire. However, in 1996 boundary redrawing meant that it moved wholly within the council area of Argyll and Bute. The town of Arrochar lies at the head of Loch Long and its good accessibility from Glasgow makes it a popular tourist destination during summer. 

As the Arrochar Alps are nearby it is not a surprise that many visitors come to go climbing and hill walking. The Cobbler (also called Ben Arthur) and Ben Narnain are very popular climbs in the area. There are several marked walking paths throughout the Argyll Forest Park which are also suitable for mountain biking.

• Nightfall
• Pentax K-1 Camera used:
• Pentax DFA 28-105mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens used:
• 34mm Focal length:
• f/4 Aperture:
• 20 Sec Exposure time:
• 100 ISO:

Perhaps a picture perfect book cover, this is an photo of Ardmay House an outdoors learning and activity centre on the shores of Loch Long. What a location! Ardmay House is located in the heart of Loch Lomond and the Trossachs National Park, on the shores of Loch Long just outside the village of Arrochar at the foot of the Cobbler mountain. At only 50 minutes’ drive from Glasgow city-centre, Ardmay is easily accessible to central Scotland but has a very remote and unique feel to it.

• The Long Walk Home
• Pentax K-1 Camera used:
• Pentax DFA 28-105mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens used:
• 105mm Focal length:
• f/11 Aperture:
• 0.5 Exposure time:
• 100 ISO:

The head and tail lights of speeding traffic illuminate the wooded foot hills of the Arrochar Alps. The Cobbler - also known as Ben Arthur - has the most distinctive outline of any mountain in the Southern Highlands and makes a fantastic short day out. Extremely popular, the path on the way up has been improved in recent years and once past the initial zig zags makes a pleasant ascent. This route explores both peaks of the Cobbler before descending on a rugged path between the two.

• Twin Peaks
• Pentax K-1 Camera used:
• Pentax DFA 28-105mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens used:
• 30mm Focal length:
• f/2.8 Aperture:
• 120 Sec Exposure time:
• 400 ISO:

5th and penultimate image from my recent trip to Scotland, This little boat anchored on the waters of Loch Long just near the village of Arrochar at the foot of the Cobbler mountain, braved the elements with me as I took a soaking! The loch is now popular for watersports such as diving. However it is quite limited in the upper reaches of the loch around Arrochar in terms of the variety of the dive and the access to the water for boats. 

• The Good Boat Yellow Top
• Pentax K-1 Camera used:
• Pentax DFA 28-105mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens used:
• 105mm Focal length:
• f/11 Aperture:
• 1/8 Exposure time:
• 100 ISO:

Loch Long offers good fishing from the shore and from a boat. As you might expect in a sea loch, you can find cod, whiting, plaice, mackerel, skate, wrasse, pollack, spurdog, and many other species in Loch Long. It is free to fish but it is illegal to land any migratory fish such as Salmon or Sea Trout. If these are caught they have to be returned immediately. Fishing boats can be hired from from the camp site at Ardgartan.

• Awe
• Pentax K-1 Camera used:
• Pentax DFA 28-105mm f/3.5-5.6 Lens used:
• 37mm Focal length:
• f/11 Aperture:
• 1-5 Exposure time:
• 100 ISO:

Other Images from this adventure