CCC Forum

So as we've just finished one photographic outing. Now the time to start thinking about the next one.

I was asked about doing something in Scotland for next year. I replied, if I was going to do a photographic trip I would Skye.

So who would be interested?

Basic idea
4-5 days in Skye. Outside of the Scottish holidays...
Travel into Inverness by plane or train (sleeper is also an option).
See some great landscapes

As a previous visitor to Skye I can highly recommend a visit. Its a very dramatic island for photography and the conditions change very quickly. We spent a few days touring around and sleeping in a campervan. Our camp site was quite exposed near a loch and the owner secured the campervan with chains to the concrete pitch due to the high winds

Hi Sarah
Graham and I are interested in this trip to Skye.

I'm possibly interested.

Rebecca

Hi Sarah, I would be interested if we went sometime between September and April, no midges.
Good luck
Wally

waconquy wrote:...... if we went sometime between September and April, no midges.

While there are midges around from April onwards, the worst of the midge season does not start until June. Only the females bite and they do so to provide sustenance for their young. Since they do not start breeding before June, they are less of nuisance. Sand flies, on the other hand, can be a menace before then. As I know to my cost, midges are still reproducing during September and it is best to wait until October to avoid them.

The real reason to go between October and March is the light. With the long summer days, it never really gets dark. The interval between sunset and sunset is also short, which is not good for those who like their sleep. Optimal light is more likely to occur during the shorter days, although nothing can be guaranteed with the vagaries of the Scottish weather. I have seen some fabulous light in Scotland during the winter, invariably from the inside an office unfortunately.

A consultation with "The Photographer's Ephemeris" based on Skye's honeypot locations might suggest the best times of year to go when the sun will be in a good position at either end of the day.

https://app.photoephemeris.com/?ll=57.3 ... =0.03,0.14

It's several years since I went to Skye, but I don't remember that midges were an issue even in June, though we were probably using a repellent, and maybe it was a year when they were breeding slightly later.

On Wednesday night, Sarah mentioned Skin So Soft by Avon, which has been discovered to also function well as an insect repellent, and is what the army uses. There are plenty of people online praising how well it works against midges.

Not going during the summer holiday period will also reduce crowds and avoid peak prices.

Thought I would re-visit this post and suggest a rough date for next year. How about Jan/Feb? This would avoid the midges and is also sociable for sunrise (around 08:45) & sunset times (around 16:30). I appreciate it would be a very cold time of the year but given Skye's location and general weather I suspect there's no ideal time and later in the year would bring in far more tourists which may cause issues with hotel/restaurant bookings.

Jan/Feb would work for us.
Tina & Graham

Paul Heester wrote:This would avoid the midges ........

I'll say. They do not start appearing until April and only bite between June and September, which is the breeding season. Also, it is only the females which bite as they require nourishment for their young.

January/February might well be cold enough for snow. Inconvenient, but picturesque. Personally, I would not want to leave it beyond March as the days start to get very long. From what I have heard, it can get very busy at the more popular times of year and the roads are narrow, making it tricky to get around.