Knoydart part I

Hi all

I am in Kyle of Lochlash. I am finding increasingly difficult to get my blog updated as I go further north. Computers just don't exist or if they do, "just for half an hour" and that is not enough to update this space.

Here are a few pictures to that proofs that the fairy tale forest was not part of my imagination or an effect of having had some magic mushrooms:

The nymph...

Gnomes...!

The ghost...!

On friday the 22nd I met Jeremi, Dan, Dyeison, Karen and Lyndon to walk the Knoydart peninsula. I walked for hour and a half to Invergarry on the main road, the A82. We were supposed to meet at 2 pm. They were slightly late so i waited reading the Times and having a few Red Cuillins; nice ale!

When they arrived, I was quite merry, and had a whiskey before leaving.

Getting the camp ready. Headnets for midges on!!

We took a taxi to Kinloch Hourn (this is not cheating as the road goes westbound, so did not take me closer to John O'Groats). The road runs by a Loch surrounded by low hills a conifer small woods. It has something special, and the feeling of isolation, as we were supossed to find in this place, is present since the very beginning. The single track road left the loch to continue windingly and up and down. The "campsite" is in a valley where there are a couple of farms, in the west end of Loch Hourn. We found a place to pitch our tents and did quickly while the midges were beginning to be a pain. Dyeison was in charge of lighting the fire.

Chilling out around the fire

On that night we had a nice stars sky, and drank and ate around the fire. Just before bed we could see the moon coming out behind the hills surrounding us. It took one minute, a real magic moment. Then Dan, Jez, Dyeison and me looked at the moon for minutes, like hypnotised.

On saturday, after a nice full English breakfast we walked on the south edge of Loch Hourn. The path run very close to the salty water, and went up and down the low hills surrounding the loch. The weather was good, no sunny though, but rain and wind was forecast. We stopped several times for some water, or biscuits and chocolate, and had lunch on a nice beach from where we could see the isle of Rum.

Jeremi walking very close to Loch Hourn water

From there we changed direction into Knoydart, Southwestbound, into a steep valley. The weather changed, and became wet and very windy. The steep and uncomfortable climb led us to a summit form where we could see Gleann an Dubh-Lochain valley. The place runs from east to wast towards Loch Nevis and has a nice lake on its west end before the sea. The valley is surrounded by almost 1000 metres high mountains and in the middle has a mini hill range 200-300 metres high approx. We went down the valley on a path on the north slopes of it heading west. From the path I saw what what looked like Highlands cows, but Lyndon's binoculars made clear that they were stags!! I got very excited, and thought on maybe getting a good picture of one of them if i got lucky enough!!

In good company

We all were thinking on finding a good spot to pitch our tents before the weather got really nasty. Almost at the bottom of the valley, before reaching the lake but not too far and by the last hill of the small central ridge of the valley, we spotted a small green that could make as our wild camp site. Dyeison went down through the rough and steep heather, crossed the stream and checked how wet the grass was. Thumbs up. We all went down and pitched the tents as quick as possible.

I went for a quick look from the small hill (around 60 m. high) we were camping by. I grabbed my camera, and borrowed Lyndon's binoculars just in case. From the top of the hill I looked east towards the small central ridge using the binoculars: nice water fall in the distance and and heather moorland. Noting else. I was going to go back, when I saw a dark red stain moving. The binoculars showed me a big stag, at about 400 meters, moving down the hill from the central range towards me. I got really really excited....

Through the binoculars I could see that there were several big knolls around the area where the deer was going that i could use to hide in order to get closer. But in order to use them I needed to be at the other side of the small hill where i was. So, I run back around this hill, away from the stag sight, and surrounded it losing height so that on approach to the animal, the small knolls would hide me. I used the principle, "if i can see him, he can't see me". I ran on the boggy heather trying to keep the knolls between me and where I thought the deer was. I got increasingly excited because I was getting very close. At the same time I was preparing my camera, running and watching out for any sight of the deer coming out behind the knolls. It was really good fun... Hunter!!!!!!

I crawled up one of the knolls and had a look. I saw it!, very close, but not close enough. there was another knoll, that would let me get real close. I ducked and moved towards it. And there it was!!! 20 metres perhaps??.

The light was very poor, and used ISO3200, and -2.0 eV correction, and even with that i only could have 1/15 shutter speed at 300 mm, and a not completely steady shot, even with the VR system of the lens.. the heart beating like crazy did not help neither.

And here it is.

Got him!!

The picture is crap (very noisy although the noise reduction system was on, and not sharp, and with no natural colours; I apply in-camera D-lighting feature to get a bit more light), but I got really close to him!!

I got back to where the tents were, 3 or 400 metres away, very happy and excited.

We had something to eat. Dyeison tried hard with the fire, but it was impossible; it was really wet, and raining. We had our drinks in Lyndon's and Karen's tent. Nice night.

Wind speed increases though, and it was really difficult sleep that night... excepting dyeison that slept like a baby the whole night.

On sunday, Dyeison and myself wrapped our tents in a plastic sheet borrowed form Lyndon and went "hunting" deers. The rest, the sensible ones, headed to the pub in Inverie. We had been seeing big herds of male and female deers during the morning in at the top of the ridges. So exciting!!

A picture for Dyeison's and my adventure.

We carried just the camera and a bit of food. We climbed straight up the slopes of the south of the valley. Hard work, very hard work, and it was wet and cold and raining. We saw herds of deers in the distance, and a female and a calf very close to us, but did not get a good picture opportunity....

... and that is all for the moment. Let me underline my frustration for this shortage of time and resources for updating my blog. I'll be looking for a place for continuing with it as soon as possible.

All the best and see you soon,... very soon.

Carlos

Did not try them