Castle Moil - Isle of Skye

[Dave (Isle of Skye)]

Took this shot yesterday during my one hour walk through our village and I have to say there are certain shots on Skye that are actually quite difficult to get wrong, even under almost all weather conditions and at most times of the day and this view of Castle Moil is certainly one of those.

The left column of the old castle ruins used to be taller (see link below), but a bolt of lightening struck it and blew off several feet from the top of the left hand column and at first I thought, oh dear, that's going to ruin the shot, but then the next time I walked down there, I changed my mind and now think that it actually helps with the composition. There is supposed to be a local group in the village who are going to try and rebuild this part of the old castle at some point, but I don't think they will ever get around to it, but as I say I think I prefer it like it is now.

If you want to know more about Castle Moil and its history, then click here, or of course (shameless plug coming up  ) you could always buy my book and read about it in much more detail on page 12 

Dave

[francois]

A "real" castle in a perfect location…
Well seen.

[Eric Myrvaagnes]

A "real" castle in a perfect location…
Well seen.

+1.

[Kevin Gallagher]

  Reading about it now Dave!!

[RSL]

A "real" castle in a perfect location…
Well seen.

+2

[Dave (Isle of Skye)]

  Reading about it now Dave!!

Yes and it's quite a story it is isn't it Kevin and just shows what us men are willing to do (and pay) even for just a fleeting glance of the opposite sex as nature intended, albeit in this case being slightly more unusual with 'Saucy Mary' being an actual princess.

We also have one of the Red Cuillins called Beinn na Caillich nearby on Skye (which translates from Scottish Gaelic as the Hill of the Old Woman) and where it is said that Saucy Mary was finally laid to rest under a large stone cairn built upon its peak. But I suspect the real reason for the origin of this legend, is that Beinn na Caillich has a shape that looks remarkably like, well, let's just say a rather large bosom and which even comes complete with a rather large nipple on top of it (the cairn) and which I think probably means that this legend is more likely to have been a long ago sexual reference by passing sailors, to the most noticeable parts of Mary's anatomy, in anticipation of what they were all soon to be ogling at..etc!

Go here for info on Beinn na Caillich and its association with a Norwegian Princess.

Thanks everyone for your comments 

Dave

[Paulo Bizarro]

Nice one, I think the seagull adds a lot.

[Rajan Parrikar]

Does it get the first (or last) light of the sun from this vantage point?

[guido]

Do you keep the gull on retainer?

Nice shot!

[kers]

Nice one, I think the seagull adds a lot.

birdshit?

[Dave (Isle of Skye)]

Does it get the first (or last) light of the sun from this vantage point?

Hi Rajan,

As you look at this Castle from the viewpoint where I took this shot, you are facing almost directly South East, so it gets first light almost all year long 

Click Here for the Google view of where I was standing to take the shot.

Do you keep the gull on retainer?

Nice shot!

I will be honest with your Guido, the only reason I posted this shot is because of that seagull, otherwise the shot is pretty much similar to several hundred others I have taken of it over the last 10 years, but when I looked at the shot, I thought well that adds a little bit of extra interest into it and I like it, so why not post it 

Nice one, I think the seagull adds a lot.

birdshit?

Och aye the poop 

Here is an alternative view of Beinn na Caillich (on the left), and hopefully you can see by its shape what I was referring to earlier in this thread, although from this much lower view point, you can't actually see the cairn on top of it, but I think you can still get the gist of what I was saying...

Dave