Road Trip Reflections - Travel Photography

I can never resist stopping to capture a few snapshots on my frequent journeys between the Central Belt and Caithness. The same location can produce a myriad of different images to conjure with as the seasons progress.
The Paisley- Inverness section of the route North varies depending upon both my mood and the number of roadworks on the A9 : I often make a detour up the west coast via Loch Lomond, Glencoe, Fort William, Spean Bridge and Newtonmore.

18/11/16
An absolutely stunning Winter's day led to this pit-stop on the roadside between Roy Bridge and Laggan. The freezing fog never quite lifted, combining with the crisp snow to give an amazing stillness to the landscape:

20/11/16
More sky-gazing : even easier when you're not driving....

Caithness coast, Latheron

"A coast of precipices and wings and perilous depths. A coast of hard rock and sea." (Neil Gunn, The Silver Darlings)

A9, Heading South over the Ord of Caithness

1/1/17
A pit-stop in Glencoe for a Hogmanay gig and a New Year's day Stroll round the old slate quarry in Ballachuillish. A beautiful crisp, sunny day, allowing the hues of the slate to stand out against the bright blue sky.

Slate (Norman Bissell)

In this light slate appears dull
even ugly from a distance
when passing a quarry
raw rock gouged out
cliff face stretch marks
on closer inspection
gnarls and whorls exposed
in all their beauty by clumsy scratchings
are softened by sea spurge
and marran grass.

After the rain great flagstones of slate
carved and coaxed into gardens
gleam and shine
grey diamonds waiting
for this moment to explode
into sparkling brilliance
black silver polished by relentless tides
glowing and blazing
from darkest fathoms.

In full sun slate seems
flat sameness on a shore
unless fool's gold winks
a pyrite's eye from smooth slab
and a myriad of textures
colours and forms
fashioned by wind and wave
are revealed to those
who open themselves
to all its lateness.