Three Days in Glencoe

Among the many benefits of going to Scotland with my aunt and uncle, two in particular stand out.

1. They are journey people. I am a destination person, prone to hitting the road with singular focus on getting to the end point—no stops, no detours. I want the travel time to be as efficient and brief as possible so that I can maximize time at my destination.

My aunt and uncle, on the other hand, are the ultimate leisurely road-trippers. They frequently set off in their car for a long weekend with no specific destination in mind. They stop and take photos of interesting scenes. They spontaneously detour onto side roads based on intriguing signs. They check out road-side art galleries and shops they pass on their way.

Loch Lubnaig

Because they are journey people, I tried to relegate my destination-loving tendencies to the backseat and embrace the journey on this trip. Consequently, I saw sites and hiked mountains and interacted with people I would have missed if I’d been solely focused on reaching a destination on-schedule. Admittedly, I did play the destination card sometimes—usually when I was hungry—and in those instances, they were very understanding. For most of the trip, however, I welcomed the journey.

2. They are skilled photographers. I bought a fancy new camera for this trip so that my vanity would be satisfied I was taking beautiful pictures. Trouble was, I didn’t really know how to uncover the camera’s potential and the user manual wasn’t much help. What good was it to know how to set the aperture if I didn’t know what effect the aperture had on the final photo?

My uncle in particular took me under his wing and taught me some photography basics, starting on our first day in Edinburgh. He taught me about aperture, shutter speed, and ISO (exposure); told me about some of my camera’s less-obvious but useful functions; and gave me tips on framing a scene. My aunt was also helpful, offering in-the-moment guidance on settings for a particular shot and analyzing professional photographs we saw to point out what made them so visually compelling. Basically, I got a personalized, two-week photography workshop.

We rented a car in Edinburgh and drove northwest to the Highlands, stopping in Sterling for lunch and a tour of the castle, set atop a high hill. As is often the case with castles, I was enchanted by the exterior and disappointed by the interior, which had been modernized and refurbished in tacky comfort. Still, the sun was shining, the views were glorious, and photographic subjects abounded. 

Looking northwest towards the Highlands from Sterling Castle

Yours truly at Sterling Castle

From there we continued on toward Glencoe, passing through a long, twisting, narrow valley surrounded on all sides by towering green mountains. The sky darkened and it started to rain. We were on a two-lane road with no shoulder to speak of, driving at what felt like a very fast speed to keep pace with the other cars. Driving on the left itself wasn't too bad but these conditions made me feel a little tense behind the wheel. Here and there, slim waterfalls flowed down the mountainsides and we passed more than one white farm house alone on that section of the valley’s floor.

Suddenly, shafts of sunlight broke through the clouds far up ahead, between two mountains. We could see the rain falling from the sky miles away, backlit by the hazy sun. Behind and all around us it was dark and lonely, but up ahead, light sparkled on the wet air. Stunning.

Sun breaks through the storm clouds on the road to Glencoe

We rented a house overlooking a misty loch, mountains on all sides. Each morning we’d get up and, over breakfast, plan out a rough itinerary for the day. We had tentatively planned to take the train from Ft. William to Mallaig—a fishing village to the west from which launch ferries to the Isle of Skye—but our lack of prior planning meant we missed the train, so we decided to drive the route instead.

Our rental house, dubbed the Old Hunting Lodge by the owners, outside Glencoe

Our main stop along the way was the Glenfinnian Viaduct, made famous in the second Harry Potter film. It was exciting to see it in-person, and better on foot than passing over it on the train would have been. We walked up and down the lane that passes under the massive stone structure, taking photographs, feeling grateful that the rain had let up.

Is that the Hogwarts Express passing over the viaduct?

The viaduct from the "back"

A stream meandered next to the lane and my aunt and uncle taught me how to adjust the camera settings to make the water slow down and look like cotton candy. Naturally I had to spend some time practicing that. 

Flowing water near the Glenfinnian Viaduct

 

After the viaduct, I played the destination card because I was very hungry and it was already past lunchtime. We continued on the winding road to Mallaig, where we had lunch in a tea room/café—my aunt had her first fish and chips of the trip, which she later said were the best of the trip—then strolled around the harbor taking pictures. It was gray and overcast, which gave everything a somewhat forlorn air.

Nets and other fishing gear at Mallaig Harbor

Boats in Mallaig Harbor

On the way back, we stopped at another seaside village called Arisaig--a place I might have missed had we been in my habitual destination mode. More photographing ensued, until the rain started again.

Arisaig

The next day we had no definite destination or agenda—a challenge for me but I embraced it. My uncle had seen photographs of the region online taken by a local photographer and wanted to find at least some of the iconic scenes and locations himself, so we set out in search of them. It was the ultimate in slow tourism. Drive, stop for photos, get back in the car. Rinse, repeat. This picture basically sums up that day for me.

My aunt and uncle capturing the perfect shot

And here’s what they were taking a picture of. What you don’t see in this idyllic scene are the port-a-potties next to the left-hand side of the house, just out of the frame. Ha!

An iconic, much sought-after Scotland scene

We spent a good part of the day driving a very windy single-track road through Etive Moor to the northern tip of Loch Etive. Again, mountains towered on all sides, covered with ferns and peppered with spontaneous waterfalls, sheltering lone farm houses and grazing sheep.

Hardy trees try to climb the sides of a mountain near Loch Etive

Once we got to Loch Etive, we spent about an hour taking pictures, each of us in different spots, until the wind and rain picked up and we took shelter back in the car.

Loch Etive

My aunt carefully framing a photo of the loch

A dock of some sort on the shores of the loch. Water is still an effective form of transport for goods in this area.

Later in the day we found ourselves on the other end of the loch in a little town called Taynuilt. It drizzled on and off throughout the day, which wasn’t ideal, but at least it didn’t pour rain.

A pop of color against the gray sky at the southern end of Loch Etive

We ended the day with dinner in Oban, a small city on the coast, preceded by a spontaneous stop at Dunstaffnage Castle. This one was in ruins so I couldn’t be disappointed by the interior. My uncle is not a huge fan of castles but, being a journey person, he gamely went along with it when I spotted the sign and announced we were going to stop there.

Ruins of Dunstaffnage Castle, outside Oban

Sunset on the Oban harbor

I discovered during our time in Glencoe that I might not have the dedication and patience necessary to become a bona fide photographer. My enthusiasm for whatever we were photographing waned long before theirs did every time and physical comfort always took priority over getting the perfect shot. Even so, I still got some pretty amazing pictures of my journey through this beautiful country.

Practicing my water-slowing skills near Glenfinnian Viaduct