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Harris and Lewis – Impressions

by Kasia Sokulska | Sep 7, 2016 | Fuji Landscapes

A couple of days on Isles of Harris and Lewis is not nearly enough to explore, however one tries to make the best of the situation by making choices of locations to visit. This does not stopped us from taking little breaks in spots, on the way, that were pretty or interesting. We took many, while traveling to Callanish from the ferry and back to the coast, the next day. I wish we had more time to explore, as is always the case with me, greedy person that I am ;D, because whatever we saw, was quite simply, lovely. Here is a few shots we took the first day. Enjoy!

Kasia

Craigh na Dun it is not.. – Scotland with Fuji

by Kasia Sokulska | Aug 26, 2016 | Fuji Landscapes

I love standing stones. They were fascinating to me since the first time I have ever heard of them many years ago and it has not changed as the years went by. The “Outlander” series of books, written by Diana Gabaldon, of which I have been a fan of for many years, and the TV series that came out just recently did not change my fascination with them. The myths and legends surrounding them, the fact, that we really don’t know that much about their builders add to their mystery… The fact that the standing stones I have seen so far are quite picturesque in themselves makes it so much more fun when one visits ;D. I’ve always wanted to see Stonehenge, but haven’t had a chance yet. Hopefully, I’ll get there eventually. For now, I have only seen one set of standing stones, when we’ve visited Scotland four years ago and the second this time around. When we set out to visit Callanish on the Isle of Lewis this past April, I didn’t know that the Stars networkhas used the stones as a model for a circle from the series called Craigh na Dun (as per Wikipedia), which makes me even happier than before. And it is saying something. I am sure I don’t have to convince all the fans of both the books and the TV series (also named “Outlander) of that fact ;D.

Anyway, let’s get back to Callanish. As we have arrived to the main stones (Callanish I), we were able to spot two more sets of the stones from the ridge it is located on. Callanish II consists of only 3 (I think) stones and Callanish III that is made of 12 or 13 of them. I’m not sure how many stones Callanish I consists of (I am sure Wikipedia can help, should you wish for this information) but it is rather large and quite impressive, build in a cruciform pattern with a stone circle in the center. We have visited the site twice during that day and then moved to Callanish III for the sunset. The main reason for the switching of the sunset location was the amount of people that have gathered there. It is rather difficult to get people-less shot due to the huge amount of tourists and photographers visiting and, since some of our group started to get a bit too frustrated ;D, we have moved to the smaller circle. I was quite taken with it, too. Smaller, but not less picturesque. What was interesting, was that there were candles set by one of the stones, indicating that some rituals of old are still being performed on this site. Our visit was taking place quite close to Beltane so… ;D

But, enough of that. It’s time to share the pictures. Hope you enjoy the views as much as I have.

Kasia

P.S. Yes, I did touch the stones (very reluctantly, but I did touch them never-the-less ;D) and no, I did not get sent 200 years into the past.. Thank heavens for that!! 😀

Out of this World – Scotland with Fuji

by Kasia Sokulska | Aug 8, 2016 | Fuji Landscapes

It’s time for the next installment of my Scottish adventure. I’m sorry for the longish break, but life has a way of interfering. So, without further ado, let’s get back to the story..

Next, was the last morning we were going to enjoy on the Isle of Skye. As usual, I could not sleep past 6AM and was first to get up and managed to get some lovely shots of small things in the morning light. I didn’t have much time to play around though because we needed to catch the early ferry to Harris and Lewis, and we wanted to fit in a stop at another extraordinary place on Sky – Cuith-Raing (known otherwise as Quiraing). It is quite an amazing piece of landscape. We took an easy hike to get a better view and it was worth every bit of effort for the views were quite simply spectacular… The landscape is, for the lack of better expression, out of this world. So different and so beautiful… Too bad, we did not have too much time to linger and had to hurry up to catch the ferry that carried us to our next adventure…

Kasia

Evening by Neist Point – Scotland with Fuji

by Kasia Sokulska | Jul 11, 2016 | Fuji Landscapes

After a long day of driving all over the Isle of Skye, we have finally arrived at our final destination for the day – Neist Point Lighthouse. It is a lovely spot located in Moonan Bay at the most westerly tip of Skye. The place looked beautiful in the evening light. The tall cliffs and blue water, highlighted by the low sun just had to be photographed. The ever changing light just begged for pictures. And we weren’t the only ones visiting the spot either. It seems such places are magnets for photographers from all over the world. And though the sunset was not the most spectacular thing I’ve ever seen, the time before it was still full of picture opportunities. And even if it wasn’t, it was a joy to walk the cliffs and breather the clean sea air and spend time with my friends exploring the beautiful coast… Until the next time!

Kasia

Out and About – Scotland with Fuji

by Kasia Sokulska | Jul 6, 2016 | Fuji Landscapes

There are a lot of beautiful spots all over the Isle of Skye. We have done our share of driving and took many stops on the way, charmed by the view. The traveler in me could not resist recording the images. Here is what I saw, before we came back to our B&B late that night, where I finished the day with a night shot of the starry sky. One of the spots we have stopped by for a short visit, was the Skye Museum of Island Life. Others were places we crossed on our way to Moonan Bay and the sunset with a view at Neist Point Lighthouse (these pictures I will share in the next post). The sky was always changing from heavy cloud cover, to almost clear, the company was fun, the views, quite simply, amazing. What more can one hope for during any trip?! I am so lucky to be able to share these pictures with you. I hope you still enjoy this diary of my adventures with Fuji on the gorgeous Isle of Skye ;D

Kasia

Exploring the Sea Floor – Scotland with Fuji

by Kasia Sokulska | Jun 27, 2016 | Fuji Landscapes

At the northwestern tip of Trotternish Peninsula on the Isle of Skye, we have found another picturesque location for our photo adventures, right by the ruins of Duntulm Castle. Since the tide was low and a portion of the sea floor was revealed I have had a rare opportunity to explore the multitude of sea plants with their wonderful colors and shapes as well as take in the views. The patterns on the sea floor made for great foreground to the landscapes and the waves and moving clouds gave me a chance to play with my Fuji and long exposure shots, using my 10 stop ND filter. And, when the time came to leave I was sorry, I could not stay there a bit longer. I would have loved to explore the castle ruins a bit and wander some more on the rocks scattered on the shore.. Oh well, perhaps I’ll be able to visit some more one day…

Kasia