Info wanted on Skye

bri wig

bri wig

Messages
566
Name
Brian
Edit My Images
No
Hope someone can give me a bit of information on the Isle of Skye,I going in three weeks time and was after good places to photograph otters(nice and close ,not a speck in the diatance ).Also birdy places,anyone been lately,I am staying on the east side just south of Portree,but travelling around no problem.Many thanks..(p.m. me if you prefere) Cheers... Brian.
 
Thanks Dougie and Marie,I've seen the info on the net re Skye-birds,and the otter place but what I'am after is local info or anyone whose been recently,the otter place if it's the one I'am thinking about is to far from hide to otter to get any decent shots,I was on Mull a couple of years back and we got some brilliant sightings of otters.Thanks anyway:thumbs:
 
I'll ask around locally, and let you know if I find anything out before you come up ;)
 
bri wig said:
Thanks Dougie and Marie,I've seen the info on the net re Skye-birds,and the otter place but what I'am after is local info or anyone whose been recently,the otter place if it's the one I'am thinking about is to far from hide to otter to get any decent shots,I was on Mull a couple of years back and we got some brilliant sightings of otters.Thanks anyway:thumbs:
Click to expand...

Good luck - otters have remained binocular objects for me.
Once went to see them in a wildlife park and they remained hidden:lol:
 
skye is bigger than most people think,i was there a few years back on the motorbike.dont hold me to it but i would say theres roughly a good 100miles of roads.(no enough roads to drive coast to coast on it though)
 
Its about 70 miles long by about 20 wide. One main trunk road, with several single track roads leading off it.
Dont expect to cover it properly in a day, its best to divide it into sections and cover over a few days.
 
Where abouts Marie, I was thinking of you as I was up there two weeks ago :)

Managed to go to Elgol, (There are wildlife RIB trips from Elgol but booking is really adviseable) Glenbrittle (there is a big campsite at the end of the road on the beach but it faces the wrong way for sunsets) Claigan (Coral beach is lovely) and The Quairing. Portree harbour and the town is well worth a pootle around and Broadford is the shopping metropolis (It has a Co-op!)

Gorgeous island but you do need at least three days and preferably a week if you want to spend some time exploring properly.
 
smalls said:
lucky person, is there a good amount of towns spread accross the isle? as i would be looking to drive somewhere, park up and then go wild camping for a couple of nights then drive on to another spot
Click to expand...

There's Broadford about 7 miles after the bridge, has a few pubs, co-op etc.
Sligachan is the next stop but its only a hotel and a campsite, altho the scenery here is amazing as its next to the cuillin hills.
Only proper town is Portree which is another 30 miles further in, it has a bit more to offer in terms of shops, pubs, restaurants etc.

If you turn left at Broadford though you can go to Elgol, about 20 min drive. Well worth a trip for scenery and you can wild camp on the way somewhere.
Elgol is a tiny place though, a wee shop and a cafe basically.

In the north there's Uig which is the ferry terminal for outer isles, Dunvegan is a wee one street village.

You must visit Quiraing, Storr, etc (could probably wild camp near the quiraing)
 
Last edited:
AliB said:
Where abouts Marie, I was thinking of you as I was up there two weeks ago :)

Managed to go to Elgol, (There are wildlife RIB trips from Elgol but booking is really adviseable) Glenbrittle (there is a big campsite at the end of the road on the beach but it faces the wrong way for sunsets) Claigan (Coral beach is lovely) and The Quairing. Portree harbour and the town is well worth a pootle around and Broadford is the shopping metropolis (It has a Co-op!)

Gorgeous island but you do need at least three days and preferably a week if you want to spend some time exploring properly.
Click to expand...

No no no, Portree has a co-op and a somerfield (now a mini co-op). So thats the shopping metropolis. Broadford is the asshole of Skye :D

I live near Portree Ali (as you can tell from the previous paragraph!).
Had I known you were coming up here I'd have arranged a meet/shoot.
 
I just headed north in the camper Marie so I had no idea where I was going or what I was doing (most people will tell you that is a permanent state)

So I ended up getting the ferry over from Mallaig, Broadford/Elgol/Glenbrittle/Sligachan/Dunvegan (it has a phone box!) Claigan/The Quaraing/Portree and back over the bridge. Popped over to Applecross and had lunch on the beach before heading back over to Glencoe and home again.

Was a fab time, I left home on Sunday at teatime and got home on Friday teatime. Totalled 1069 miles. ROAD TRIP! :)
 
my plan would be to park the car up somewhere and go off for a few nights wild camping, is there many places where you can just park your car and leave it for a few days? such as small car parks just of the roadside. me and the other half will be looking to explore the whole island, over a 10-14 day period
 
Your car should be pretty safe to park and leave Sam.
I'm not sure how you plan to get around the island to wild camp without it though?
Folk normally take their car right up to the wild camp spots e.g Quiraing, Duntulm, Cil Chriosd, Torrin etc
 
The Otter Haven at Kylerhea is worth a look but the hide is a long way from the shore.

Cross over the small ferry to the Glenelg side. I see them around the slipway plus you can get a brew.
 
Last edited:
Just had a look on your web-site Marie,absolutely brilliant images,can't wait for the scenery,never done landscape before so it would be a shame to waste an opportunity,is there any "special" gear I require,I've a 70-200L 2.8 lens will that do ? what about filters?,only generally do nature so completely different ballgame.
 
You can probably use that lens for landscape, although wider would be preferable.
I'd use aperture priority mode mainly, on around F11.
Lowest iso possible.
I use evaluative/matrix metering.
If you dont have nd grad filters then you could bracket the shots (e.g. three shots at -1, 0, +1) and blend them.
Oh and use a tripod :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top