F&C Trip to Scotland - Gauging Interest & Opinions - Booked!

General area & dates of possible Scotland trip

  • Highlands

    Votes: 12 92.3%
  • Lowlands

    Votes: 4 30.8%
  • Arran or another island

    Votes: 12 92.3%
  • September 2018

    Votes: 9 69.2%
  • October 2018

    Votes: 10 76.9%
  • November 2018

    Votes: 6 46.2%

  • Total voters
    13
  • Poll closed .
@Mrs Snap

Evening meal on the Saturday sounds just like the thing for meeting people and discussing plans for the following days, so I'm definitely up for that. Breakfasts and lunches I'll sort out for myself, while eating out in the evenings has that attractive ring to it. ;)
 
I am up for the stew on Saturday evening good idea.

As I have to eat at different times,because of my meds I will cater for myself during the day and evening throughout the week.

Thank you.
Fair enough, thanks for letting me know.
 
Well I see no reason to change from carrier pigeon for either messages or stew. :D
 
Does anybody fancy doing the Glenfinnan Viaduct on the Sunday?
 
The timetable suggest only the morning train runs after today, so that would be your starting point if you want the train on the viaduct. It doesn't mention Sundays, so presumably it runs on that day as well. https://www.westcoastrailways.co.uk/m/jacobite/dates-times.cfm

Edit: Obviously it comes back again in the afternoon on its return journey, but I think the usual (best?) shot is of it heading outwards?
 
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Does anybody fancy doing the Glenfinnan Viaduct on the Sunday?
Scrap that, it looks like the Sunday service stops at the end of September but Monday to Friday service runs while we're there.
 
As Sue doesn't eat veg (apart from chips and baked beans (Heinz) stew probably wouldn't suit us. We're coming up early - meaning a couple of days before - with the idea of being able to get to West Yorkshire Cameras before we've wasted all the holiday money on non-essentials like food... Anyway, as we won't be making too long a journey on the Saturday, we'll probably have eaten before we arrive. Though depending on what we had, I might manage some stew. Otherwise, food sounds fine.

While we're talking of food and kitchens, is it normal to develop films on site? I was considering bringing a developing tank for sheet film, partly in case anyone wanted to try LF and avoid the issue of having to store exposed film. I'll have a changing tent with me in any case. I know it will also involve a few chemicals, bottles, a thermometer and clips.
 
While we're talking of food and kitchens, is it normal to develop films on site? I was considering bringing a developing tank for sheet film, partly in case anyone wanted to try LF and avoid the issue of having to store exposed film. I'll have a changing tent with me in any case. I know it will also involve a few chemicals, bottles, a thermometer and clips.

It has been done before Stephen, I recall at Whipsnade a few years back and I guess possibly elsewhere since then.
iirc the objects required, chems, scanner, laptop, dev tan etc etc were brought by different people so as to not put the "load" onto one person.
 
While we're talking of food and kitchens, is it normal to develop films on site? I was considering bringing a developing tank for sheet film, partly in case anyone wanted to try LF and avoid the issue of having to store exposed film. I'll have a changing tent with me in any case. I know it will also involve a few chemicals, bottles, a thermometer and clips.
I was going to put my tanks and chemicals in on the off-chance that I wanted to process anything.
 
I was going to put my tanks and chemicals in on the off-chance that I wanted to process anything.

At the bootie a few weeks ago a guy had a sorta large box (maybe folding cardboard one) but not home made, with hand holes with felt (to prevent light entering)....I thought at the time someone here would have wanted it...didn't bother to ask the price, silly really as it would have been a guide for what things like this go for.
 
Ahh damn, a changing tent!! I knew I'd forgotten something lol. Gonna have to leave a couple pairs of socks behind to fit that in my suitcase lol.
 
Ahh damn, a changing tent!! I knew I'd forgotten something lol. Gonna have to leave a couple pairs of socks behind to fit that in my suitcase lol.
Can't you just use someone else's? I'm sure Andy will be taking his....
 
Ahh damn, a changing tent!! I knew I'd forgotten something lol. Gonna have to leave a couple pairs of socks behind to fit that in my suitcase lol.

I'll probably bring *two - and I only have one pair of arms to stick in 'em.... You're welcome to use one of them.

* Harrison Pup and the bigger Harrison - usable as a darkroom if you're small enough :D
 
Starting to think about what kit to pack and I think mainly the LF and the Bronica SQ. I'd be happy to bring the Yashicamat if anyone wants to play with a tlr, and I can bring the 5x4 pinhole if anyone wants to try that out? I'm assuming we're all adequately covered for 35mm, but I could bring some old Tamron Adaptall 2 lenses if you have a mount for your own camera make. Just a thought. :)
 
It’s a tough choice but this trip I will be mostly using the Chroma, the Hasselblad, the FM3A and maybe the Zero Image 2000 pinhole.

This of course may change
 
Sue was reckoning I should bring everything (if there's space) so apart from LF I may have Mamiya RZ67, C330f in roll film and OM outfit (probably NOT all the cameras OM1, 2, 4, 4Ti), Canon F1, Nikon F2 and F3 (leaving an F2 behind), Exakta (Kine and IIA, leaving an Exa and 3 Exaktas behind). None of the compacts though. Anyone bringing a Canon FD mount camera should get a chance to try the 55mm f/1.2 ASPH if they want - it works well wide open.

If space doesn't permit, then LF and RZ67 would be the minimal outfit. Plus a dreaded digi (Sony a7r2) which means a wide selection of 35mm lenses as well.
 
Is anybody going to be there the week before and considering a visit to Ffordes?
 
We'll be starting on Thursday, but with the idea of stopping in Yorkshire for West Yorkshire Cameras. Ffords isn't quite the same since they took over the whole building, and we found that it wasn't so easy to browse the stock (unless you were in to Leicas). The loss of the craft and coffee shop on the ground floor (have tea and cake and consider purchase) made it less of a place to visit unless you knew exactly what you wanted and could just ask at the counter. Others may view it differently.

WYC are set up for browsing, and impulse buys are more common.

On reflection, perhaps we should miss out WYC and go to Ffords :D.

It's a relatively quick journey* to Beauly from Onich, with Glen Affric available for a detour.

* But we do make round trips from Fort William to places like Ullapool as a day out.
 
We'll be starting on Thursday, but with the idea of stopping in Yorkshire for West Yorkshire Cameras. Ffords isn't quite the same since they took over the whole building, and we found that it wasn't so easy to browse the stock (unless you were in to Leicas). The loss of the craft and coffee shop on the ground floor (have tea and cake and consider purchase) made it less of a place to visit unless you knew exactly what you wanted and could just ask at the counter. Others may view it differently.

WYC are set up for browsing, and impulse buys are more common.

On reflection, perhaps we should miss out WYC and go to Ffords :D.

It's a relatively quick journey* to Beauly from Onich, with Glen Affric available for a detour.

* But we do make round trips from Fort William to places like Ullapool as a day out.
I only ask as I’m considering a lens purchase and as I’m too tight to pay the postage wondered whether anyone would be going. I suppose I could always drive up in the week and do a little, not so impulsive, purchasing :D
 
It takes us about 90 minutes to tow a caravan from Fort William to Glenmore (8 miles beyond Aviemore), and Aviemore is about 33 miles from Inverness, with Beauly just beyond. Alternatively, you can travel up the side of the Great Glen and approach from the south which should be a shorter time. If interested in archaeology, going that way makes it only a small detour to the interesting chambered cairn at Corrimony and Glen Affric (which we were in a few weeks ago).
 
I only ask as I’m considering a lens purchase and as I’m too tight to pay the postage wondered whether anyone would be going. I suppose I could always drive up in the week and do a little, not so impulsive, purchasing :D
It's a shame they don't open on Saturday because it wouldn't be much of a detour from your route from Inverness airport. It's just over 2 hours up the Great Glen (A82) to get to Beauly with plenty of nice stuff on the way. If I was doing it, I'd be tempted to carry on to Chanonry Point and see if the dolphins are around.
 
We'll be starting on Thursday, but with the idea of stopping in Yorkshire for West Yorkshire Cameras. Ffords isn't quite the same since they took over the whole building, and we found that it wasn't so easy to browse the stock (unless you were in to Leicas). The loss of the craft and coffee shop on the ground floor (have tea and cake and consider purchase) made it less of a place to visit unless you knew exactly what you wanted and could just ask at the counter. Others may view it differently.
I'd agree with Stephen that the loss of the tearoom was a backward step, but also something of a success for the increase in stock, much of which is film based.

I only ask as I’m considering a lens purchase and as I’m too tight to pay the postage wondered whether anyone would be going. I suppose I could always drive up in the week and do a little, not so impulsive, purchasing :D
At the risk of being castigated and cast out of the F&C crowd, I am pondering on a visit to Ffordes on Tuesday 2nd Oct as they are having a Fuji X-T3 launch day. While I have no interest in buying one, it usually gives an opportunity to try out the various Fuji lenses on my X-T1, including the more expensive ones that I can't afford. I should know by Monday whether I'm going, as they'll not let me outside if the weather's poor and then there's no point in going, You can let me know if you are going to go ahead with the purchase and I could maybe pick it up? My only doubt about this would be that it won't be insured in transit with me if there proved to be something wrong with it, whereas it would be if it was sent by courier.
 
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I'm trying desperately not to bring too much kit, as I want to keep things simple and as light as possible... So it'll be the LF kit and possibly, if I can be bothered, the Mamiya 645 with 55mm. I would considering bringing the FM3a, but I only have a 28mm prime for it, which is not so different from the 55mm on the mamiya, so little point really. The RB67 weighs about as much as I do, so screw that :D
 
It's a shame they don't open on Saturday because it wouldn't be much of a detour from your route from Inverness airport. It's just over 2 hours up the Great Glen (A82) to get to Beauly with plenty of nice stuff on the way. If I was doing it, I'd be tempted to carry on to Chanonry Point and see if the dolphins are around.

I know, it’s a real shame they’re not open on the Saturday, could have happily made the slight detour, ebpven if just for a mooch. It may be worth a trip on one of the days anyway.

You can let me know if you are going to go ahead with the purchase and I could maybe pick it up? My only doubt about this would be that it won't be insured in transit with me if there proved to be something wrong with it, whereas it would be if it was sent by courier.

Thanks Peter, I appreciate the offer, I’ll let you know if I decide to go ahead with the purchase although you may be right about the insurance thing so will bear it in mind.
 
I would considering bringing the FM3a, but I only have a 28mm prime for it, which is not so different from the 55mm on the mamiya, so little point really.

I should be bringing a couple of Samyang lenses - the 14mm and 24mm TS - in Nikon mounts if that's any reason to bring an FM3A.
 
If I were going to Scotland in October I wouldn't be relying on being able to use a LF camera due to the weather, which could well be wet and windy for a week or more up there at that time of year, so I'd really suggest taking another camera with me. Ideally, I'd take a compact 35mm, a 35mm SLR and a smallish MF camera and a films from 100 to 800 ISO, which should enable me to cope with most conditions. Taking just an LF camera could pretty much reduce you to observer status if the weather doesn't play ball.
 
I take a book for those conditions :D
 
I'm in the fortunate position of having an enormous car all to myself so i'm planning on just chucking the storage boxes everything lives in straight in the boot! My bigger problem is I keep forgetting to check how much film stock I have.
 
If I were going to Scotland in October I wouldn't be relying on being able to use a LF camera due to the weather, which could well be wet and windy for a week or more up there at that time of year, so I'd really suggest taking another camera with me. Ideally, I'd take a compact 35mm, a 35mm SLR and a smallish MF camera and a films from 100 to 800 ISO, which should enable me to cope with most conditions. Taking just an LF camera could pretty much reduce you to observer status if the weather doesn't play ball.
Tis true. A good brolly and a willing assistant will sort out the wet, but possibly not the windy.
 
Tis true. A good brolly and a willing assistant will sort out the wet, but possibly not the windy.
Or the sleety, or the haily, or the thunder storm and lightingy.... ;) Joking aside, October is the storm season so don't let this week's lamb-like weather fool you.
 
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