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Author Topic: Photo tours of Scotland and/or Ireland  (Read 9577 times)

PeterAit

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Photo tours of Scotland and/or Ireland
« on: February 17, 2018, 10:59:44 am »

We're not looking for a tour with lots of photo instruction - my wife and I are both quite experienced and we do not need to hear someone drone on about f-stops or ISO. But we'd like a tour where getting great photos is a priority, small group, and at most moderate physical exertion. Any experiences?
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john beardsworth

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Re: Photo tours of Scotland and/or Ireland
« Reply #1 on: February 17, 2018, 11:27:57 am »

Do you really feel you need a tour rather than suggestions for an itinerary, Peter? It might also be worth saying how much time you have available.
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PeterAit

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Re: Photo tours of Scotland and/or Ireland
« Reply #2 on: February 17, 2018, 03:18:01 pm »

Do you really feel you need a tour rather than suggestions for an itinerary, Peter? It might also be worth saying how much time you have available.

Not really John, we would consider a self-drive tour. We have 2 weeks.
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stever

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Re: Photo tours of Scotland and/or Ireland
« Reply #3 on: February 17, 2018, 03:42:21 pm »

my wife and i spent about 10 days on our own a couple years ago and had a great time - spent 2 days in Dublin then picked up a car and headed north and over to the the Atlantic coast and around back to Dublin.  hit many of the archeological sites, stayed in some nice guesthouses and a couple b&bs - mostly goof food.  photography wise one of the most important is lucking into some weather that let's you see the landscape.
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john beardsworth

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Re: Photo tours of Scotland and/or Ireland
« Reply #4 on: February 17, 2018, 03:54:10 pm »

Maybe someone can recommend tours of Scotland, but they tend to be local, like a few days on the Isle of Skye for example. Hopefully Dave (Isle of Skye) will chip in as he's based there.

For a two week tour, I'd suggest you start and finish in Edinburgh and do a round trip which takes in the Isle of Skye, Lewis, and then back down the West coast.
  • Near Edinburgh see the Forth Bridges and maybe the Falkirk Wheel
  • Head directly to Skye via Glencoe and Fort William. He puts on a hard hat... Don't spent time on the bit between Edinburgh and Glencoe. It's pretty, but it's not Glencoe or Skye.
  • From Skye, take the car ferry to Lewis and see the Callanish stone circles
  • Return on the Stornaway ferry to Ullapool then follow the coast south via Torridon, to Fort William
That would be my suggestion anyway!
« Last Edit: February 17, 2018, 03:59:30 pm by john beardsworth »
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Eric Myrvaagnes

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Re: Photo tours of Scotland and/or Ireland
« Reply #5 on: February 17, 2018, 04:06:08 pm »

Peter,

My wife and I are going on a ten-day "photo/cultural" tour of Ireland from March 10 through March 21 this year, led by a great landscape photographer Ron Rosenstock, who has given photo tours to Ireland, Iceland, Morocco, and other exotic places for close to fifty years. I have known Ron since we both attended a Minor White workshop in 1967. He is a fun, easy-going guy as well as a fine photographer, and not at all preachy. This tour is small, and when I last checked there was only one other couple booked.

Most of the ten days we will be based in Westport, on the West coast, near where St. Patrick routed the snakes. Ron visits Ireland several times each year and will take us to several of his favorite photo sites.

For details, check his website at https://www.ronrosenstock.com/photo-tours and scroll down to "Ireland St. Patrick's Day Tour."

We'd love to see you there, but if this is too short notice, do check out his later tours as well.

-Eric
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Dave (Isle of Skye)

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Re: Photo tours of Scotland and/or Ireland
« Reply #6 on: February 21, 2018, 03:52:40 pm »

We're not looking for a tour with lots of photo instruction - my wife and I are both quite experienced and we do not need to hear someone drone on about f-stops or ISO. But we'd like a tour where getting great photos is a priority, small group, and at most moderate physical exertion. Any experiences?

Maybe someone can recommend tours of Scotland, but they tend to be local, like a few days on the Isle of Skye for example. Hopefully Dave (Isle of Skye) will chip in as he's based there.

Places to see and photograph in and around the North West Coast of Scotland that I would recommend - and the North West Coast is the best area for photography, although the rest of Scotland is also good, it is just that on the West Coast, it seems the locations are just that bit more photographic and closer together.

I assume you will be coming up from Glasgow, so the first stop I would suggest is Loch Lommond, you can take a boat tour here and there is also lots to see and photograph - here is a link to the waterfalls in that area http://www.lochlomond-trossachs.org/discover-the-park/inspiration/seven-wonderful-waterfalls/

Continuing on, next look for the waterfall at Orchy http://scotland.forestry.gov.uk/visit/glen-orchy

Then you are at Rannoch Moor and Glencoe - here is a list of places to see and photograph when you are there http://www.nickscape.co.uk/glencoe-photography-locations-map-etive

Then follow the route to Skye - https://must-see-scotland.com/driving-route-to-skye/

On Skye you have - https://www.wexphotovideo.com/blog/tips-and-technique/a-photographers-guide-to-the-isle-of-skye/ but I would definitely spend at least three days on Skye and just drive around the entire Island, as depending on the weather, you can find photographs anywhere you look really.

From Skye I would then head towards the NC500 route via Applecross and Bealach na Bà - https://www.northcoast500.com/blog/blog/november-2016/why-the-nc500-is-a-photographer-s-dream.aspx

And, if you still have time, get the ferry over to the Islands from Ullapool or Uig on Skye and photograph the standing stones and historic sites and amazing coastlines - https://www.scotland-info.co.uk/stones.htm

This is just a small amount of the many photographic opportunities that you will find here and if you get the weather, then you will take thousands of pictures (so bring lots of storage) and will definitely want to come back here many times, but try to avoid the summer as it gets very busy and very midgey.

Lots of the routes in Scotland away from the motorways are on on single track roads, so get used to using passing places correctly and never, ever park in one - http://www.scotlandinfo.eu/driving-single-track-roads-in-scotland/ but basically let people pass so you can slow down and enjoy the scenery and wave (a lot) at anyone and everyone you meet on a single track road, be they drivers or pedestrians, it is just what we all do up here.

Enjoy your visit and here are a few of my shots from a few years ago, just to whet your appetite..

Dave
« Last Edit: February 21, 2018, 03:58:32 pm by Dave (Isle of Skye) »
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guido

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Re: Photo tours of Scotland and/or Ireland
« Reply #7 on: February 22, 2018, 09:15:52 am »

Thank you Dave for this rich trove of ideas! We are thinking of September or October. I can't wait!
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Dave (Isle of Skye)

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Re: Photo tours of Scotland and/or Ireland
« Reply #8 on: February 22, 2018, 09:59:50 am »

Thank you Dave for this rich trove of ideas! We are thinking of September or October. I can't wait!

No problem  :)

If I could choose only two weeks to be here, then those weeks would be at the end of October and perhaps the first week in November. Because the weather here is warmer than the rest of the UK (in meteorological terms, although it often doesn't feel it) as the Isle of Skye sticks out directly into the path of the warming waters of the gulf stream and is why we have palm trees growing in our garden, so we tend to get autumn a little later than elsewhere in the UK. Also by late September the midges have stopped biting but can still be a nuisance and then in early October they have gone completely, as have the last of the tourists usually.

Here are a few more shots from a while ago  ;)

Dave
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guido

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Re: Photo tours of Scotland and/or Ireland
« Reply #9 on: February 22, 2018, 02:51:40 pm »

I hadn't considered later dates. Thanks!
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john beardsworth

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Re: Photo tours of Scotland and/or Ireland
« Reply #10 on: February 22, 2018, 03:04:54 pm »

I hadn't considered later dates. Thanks!

Sunrise and sunset times are easier, too.
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guido

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Re: Photo tours of Scotland and/or Ireland
« Reply #11 on: February 22, 2018, 06:10:11 pm »

Sunrise and sunset times are easier, too.

But the nap times in between are shorter as well!  ::)

And travel between spots. I suppose I need to account for that too...
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Alskoj

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Re: Photo tours of Scotland and/or Ireland
« Reply #12 on: March 09, 2018, 08:24:53 pm »

Good info!  I'm taking my wife and two college aged kids to the UK in May.  It won't be a "photography" trip but I will be taking a camera and hopefully a tripod.  We'll be using a BritRail 8 day pass and hope to see as much of England, Scotland and Wales as we can.
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Eric Myrvaagnes

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Re: Photo tours of Scotland and/or Ireland
« Reply #13 on: March 10, 2018, 12:18:36 am »

Peter,

I'll post short review of Ron Rosenstock's St. Patrick's Day Tour, which my wife and I leave for this Sunday evening.
We'll be back on March 21, and I'll try to write up something soon after.

Eric
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Eric Myrvaagnes

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Re: Photo tours of Scotland and/or Ireland
« Reply #14 on: March 20, 2018, 08:51:07 am »

Alas, I have no review of the Ron Rosenstock photo tour to Western Ireland.

We were supposed to fly to Glasgow the evening of March 11, but instead I ended up in hospital for four days with a terrible stomach bug, so we had to cancel. I am much better now, and this Thursday I see my kidney doctor to have him evaluate whether I am healthy enough to rebook for May.

-Eric
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Rajan Parrikar

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Re: Photo tours of Scotland and/or Ireland
« Reply #15 on: March 20, 2018, 12:45:16 pm »

Alas, I have no review of the Ron Rosenstock photo tour to Western Ireland.

We were supposed to fly to Glasgow the evening of March 11, but instead I ended up in hospital for four days with a terrible stomach bug, so we had to cancel. I am much better now, and this Thursday I see my kidney doctor to have him evaluate whether I am healthy enough to rebook for May.

-Eric

I hope you had trip cancellation insurance. Hope you can go in May.

Eric Myrvaagnes

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Re: Photo tours of Scotland and/or Ireland
« Reply #16 on: March 20, 2018, 03:20:30 pm »

I hope you had trip cancellation insurance. Hope you can go in May.
Thanks, Rajan. We are mostly covered with only a modest loss. It's up to my kidney doctor to say about May.
If we don't do Ireland, we will spend a relaxing week on Martha's Vineyard, which is always beautiful during May.
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TommyWeir

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Re: Photo tours of Scotland and/or Ireland
« Reply #17 on: March 20, 2018, 03:26:47 pm »

Westport in Mayo is a lovely town and lots to tour around to in that area from Galway to the Mayo coast.  I'm not surprised he uses it as a base for photography tours.

I would recommend a drive around Galway/Mayo including Renvyle (great hotel renvyle.com) and Achill and then up to North Sligo and Donegal. The coast road generally along all four counties is great, Donegal a personal favorite, but all will provide ample opportunities for shooting.  It's the core of the Wild Atlantic Way, a tourism booster which ties a lot of things together.   Let me know if you hit Sligo and I can give you a few local spots.

Weather... well... come prepared.  No bad weather, only bad prep.

guido

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Re: Photo tours of Scotland and/or Ireland
« Reply #18 on: March 20, 2018, 03:41:15 pm »

Alas, I have no review of the Ron Rosenstock photo tour to Western Ireland.

We were supposed to fly to Glasgow the evening of March 11, but instead I ended up in hospital for four days with a terrible stomach bug, so we had to cancel. I am much better now, and this Thursday I see my kidney doctor to have him evaluate whether I am healthy enough to rebook for May.

-Eric

Sorry to hear the trip got scrubbed. Glad you are feeling better, and i hope the eval goes well!
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Eric Myrvaagnes

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Re: Photo tours of Scotland and/or Ireland
« Reply #19 on: March 20, 2018, 05:20:07 pm »

Tommy,

Yes, it sounds like a lovely area, and I know Ron has used Westport many times as a base, so we are looking forward to  rebooking.

And Guido,

Thanks for the good wishes.

-Eric
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