Strabo Photo Tour Collection

Scotland: Adventure to Skye and Orkney Islands

includes the Highlands

We are very pleased to announce our fourth photo tour to Scotland featuring the Isle of Skye and Orkney. Participants on this tour will explore and photograph the diverse landscape of the Isle of Skye, the largest of the Hebrides. We will hike across the spectacular Quiraing range, a basalt uprising that is the dominant feature of the Trotternish Peninsula. A trip across the peninsula will take us to the tiny village of Uig, and beyond to the Fairy Glen, a magical forest of Hazel trees situated amidst strange and wondrous hills and valleys. We will also spend a day in the Cuillins - Skye's most dramatic mountains. Lance invites you to join him for a swim in the chilly waters at the fairy pools. Skye has something for everyone: sandy beaches, dramatic cliffs, majestic mountains, quiet forests, and ever-changing skies that never fail to reward photographers with amazing light. If it rains, there is plenty to see and do in Portree, the largest town on Skye. We may visit An Tuireann center for contemporary crafts and visual arts or browse the many shops, cafes, and pubs in town.

At the meeting point of three sea lochs on the west coast of the Scottish mainland is the very photogenic Eilean Donan Castle where we will stop to photograph on the way to Orkney.

On Orkney we will explore the amazing megalithic sites, including Maes Howe, a 5000-year-old chambered tomb with 1000-year-old Viking graffiti, and the preserved prehistoric village known as Skara Brae, exposed by a storm in the nineteenth century. It never gets fully dark on Orkney in high summer, which means we will have hours of amazing twilight to photograph the amazing Ring of Brodgar, a massive stone circle that was built over 5000 years ago. We will also visit the Viking Cathedral in the village of Kirkwall, and the picturesque town of Stromness, which is wonderful for photographing at night. One day on Orkney will be dedicated to a visit to Hoy, another of the Orkney Islands, where we will hike across the northern end of the island to see the Old Man of Hoy, a 450 foot high sea stack. Our base on Orkney is Woodwick House, a Victorian manor house with lovely gardens, waterfall, a seventeenth century dovecote and its own private bay. Dining at Woodwick is a grand affair, and each night we will have a three-course meal with several choices for entrees. Woodwick House also has an extensive wine list, and an impressive selection of Highland whiskies, available at additional cost.

A dedicated teacher, Lance Keimig, has been teaching photography since 1997, teaching at the School of the Museum of Fine Arts and new England School of Photography in Boston, and through his own workshops in California, Massachusetts, and internationally. In 2003 Keimig founded the Mono Lake Photo Workshops in California, to promote interest in the fragile ecosystem of the Eastern Sierras through photography. Lance is also a co-founder of The Nocturnes Night Photography workshops, a San Francisco based organization that has promoted Night Photography through workshops, exhibitions, and its acclaimed web site. He has led five photo tours to Ireland, and this will be his third photo tour to Scotland, a place with which he fell in love on his first visit in 1995. His photographs are held in numerous collections including The Art Complex Museum, The Boston Athenaeum, State Street Bank, Fidelity, Hitachi, Rayovac, and three Com Corporations. Examples of his work can be seen on his website: http:/www.thenightskye.com.

Itinerary

June 6: U.S.

We will depart from the U.S. today on an overnight flight to Glasgow International Airport.

June 7: Glasgow - Glencoe

Sam Gardener, our guide and driver, will meet us at the Glasgow Airport where we will depart for Glencoe. Our accommodations are set in the heart of Glencoe, surrounded by mountains. Overnight Clachaig Inn.

June 8: Glencoe

We will have a full day to immerse ourselves in the highlands of Scotland, with Glencoe being an excellent base from which to explore the region. In the Highlands, the past is all around. Ancient cairns and stone settings, the later brochs (defensive round towers), then the Picts with their mysterious carved symbol stones have all left their faint traces on the landscape. Though the old clan ways have vanished, the Highlands are still a special place and a place apart, enjoyed not only for their unspoiled environment, but also for their particular sense of the intertwining of past and present. Overnight Clachaig Inn (B).

June 9 - June 13: Orkney

We leave Glencoe today, heading north to reach the little ferry port of Scrabster for the evening ferry to Stromness on Mainland Orkney. Traveling through the east coast of the Highlands, presenting a dramatic landscape, finally, in Caithness, we cross part of the Flow Country - a huge expanse of peat moorland with far reaching views. There will be time for some photo stops en route. We cross the Pentland Firth in a modern and comfortable ferry, the “Hamnavoe”. The crossing takes an hour and a half, and we pass one of Orkney’s best-known sights – The Old Man of Hoy, a fantastic sea stack just off the west coast of Hoy. Our accommodations will be at Woodwick House, just a twenty minute drive from Stromness. A comfortable historic country house set in extensive wooded grounds running down to the shore overlooking many of Orkney’s Northern Isles.

Orkney is a group of islands just off the north coast of Scotland, and is in sharp contrast to the Isle of Skye. It is a fertile soft landscape, rich in farming, with abundant and diverse bird life, and exceedingly rich in archaeological history. Orkney also has an important recent history with the almost enclosed waters of Scapa Flow, which played an important part in both world wars. Most of our time will be spent on Orkney Mainland, exploring its many megalithic sites, rolling landscapes, and jutted coastline. We will visit a number of these sights including: the Skara Brae stone village; the fascinating tomb at Maes Howe - older than the Pyramids with Viking graffiti you will not find in Egypt; the Broch of Gurness; the standing stones of Stenness; the stone village of Barnhouse; and, of course, the Ring of Brodgar, an impressive stone circle on the shore of Loch Stenness. One day will be dedicated to hiking and photographing on the island of Hoy. Yet another option is to spend a few hours following the artist's studio trail, visiting local photographers and other artists. One night, we will go to a ceilidh, performed just for our group to hear traditional Scottish music at Kirbuster, a 16th century farm that is now preserved as a museum. Overnights Woodwick House (B, D)

June 14: Orkney – Skye

Traveling to the Isle of Skye today, we will leave the Woodwick House after an early breakfast. Our guides will take into consideration the interests of the group, ferry schedule, and weather conditions to determine the most opportune photo stops, on Orkney or on the mainland, as we drive to Skye. Much of the Isle of Skye is in the form of a number of peninsulas, each with its own particular characteristics. On Skye we will be staying in the idyllic Village of Kyleakin, which is just over the bridge from the mainland. Kyleakin is a peaceful harbor village, overlooked and indeed protected by the impressive twin peaks of Beinn na Caillich and Sgurr na Coinnich, some 2,400 ft above sea level. A warm welcome awaits us at a quaint harbor side hotel, where we’ll have views of the harbor and Castle Moil - an ancient MacKinnon stronghold - with its own Viking history and ‘saucy’ Norse traditions. Not far from Kyleakin are the Black Cuillin Mountains, the sparkling waters of Loch Sligachan, the Sleat Peninsula, and the quaint villages of Wester Ross. Overnight White Heather (B)

June 15 - June 18: Skye

We’ll head North on this lovely Isle to the Trotternish Peninsula, which consists predominantly of a long basalt outcrop, giving rise to the dramatic cliff and mountain scenery roundabout. Driving around the “North End” of Trotternish, we’ll make a number of varied photo stops along the way. At Kilmaluag we will walk up onto the cliffs for some spectacular views to the Outer Hebrides and to the mainland of Torridon. At Duntulm we’ll spend some time on the beach where we’ll find some fascinating rock pools and other subjects. A few miles further on we reach The Museum of Island Life at Kilmuir, which is a fascinating folk museum, housed in six Black Houses, giving a vivid impression of a previous life on Skye. Driving on we pass open crofting townships before reaching the picturesque village and bay of Uig. This is the ferry terminal for the Outer Isles, and we will have time to visit Fairy Glen, a strange area of trees, hills, and water.

One of our days will be spent exploring a little further a field, taking a trip to Waternish, Dunvegan, and Neist Point. The Waternish peninsula is a softer landscape than neighboring Trotternish, and there’s a pleasant seaside village at Stein. At Dunvegan we will offer you a choice – Dunvegan Castle is the ancestral home of the MacLeod’s, and is one of Skye’s most popular attractions. It will be possible to visit the castle and the gardens and also take a boat trip in Loch Dunvegan (a sea loch) to see and photograph the colonies of seals on the little islands. Alternatively, a few miles down the road is the Coral Beach, a white shell sand beach that looks idyllic on a sunny day. Neist Point juts out into the Minch in an austere and dramatic way.

A hike to the strange and dramatic rock formations of the Quiraing is a highlight. We start at the Bealach (pass) above Staffin, on the Uig road, and traverse beneath the cliffs leading to the Quiraing. We reach the Needle, a solitary rock, and scramble up to the Table – a most surprising antidote to all the wondrous rocks all around. We finish the walk at the Flodigarry Hotel, a comfortable country house hotel where we can sample Skye beer, a wee dram, or enjoy a Highland tea – a welcome reward for the accomplishments of the day.


We'll spend a day exploring the Sleat peninsula, known as the Garden of Skye. The landscape is very different on Sleat; the vegetation is very lush with wide valleys and marshy fields. A quiet loop road will take us through the tiny hamlet of Ord, with a secret garden and beautiful sandy beach, and Tokavaig with the remains of Dunsgaith castle. Farther along we will pass through the village of Armadale, with fishing and ferry pier, and a magnificent beech forest. On the way north, we'll stop at Isle or Ornsay for stunning views of the mainland at Mallaig.

Our last day on Skye will, appropriately, be spent concentrating on one of Skye’s best-known sights. The Old Man of Storr is a pinnacle of rock, 160 feet high, visible from much of the east coast of Skye. It is surrounded by other incredible rocks, and we will walk up to its base, and into The Sanctuary, from where we can spend a few hours enjoying the fantastic views as well as the extraordinary photographic potential of the rocky landscape. Given time we, can explore Lealt Falls and some of the amazing views across the Sound of Raasay. Overnights White Heather (B)

June 19: Skye - Glasgow - Home

We depart on our afternoon flights home from Glasgow International Airport. (B)

Accommodations

Accommodations are a mixture of family, twin and single rooms, some with private bathrooms, and all with in-room sinks. Single rooms and rooms with private bath may be available on a first-come, first-serve basis. Transportation will be in a comfortable mini-bus with ample room for your luggage and gear.

Guides

Please contact us for more details.

Food & Drink

Breakfasts will be taken at the lodges, while lunches will usually be picnics in the field or pub lunches. The food is both delicious and wholesome.

Notes

The trip is suited for people of all photographic levels, and there will be plenty of time to work individually with participants to address specific photographic concerns. Lance welcomes both film and digital photographers. Lance’s own specialty is black and white night photography, and he will provide instruction on night and low light photography techniques. On several occasions, we will venture out to photograph the villages, landscape and Neolithic sites at night, especially on Orkney. This is primarily a photo tour, concentrating on shooting rather than critique. Participants should be in good physical condition as there will be hiking over rough terrain. There is no serious climbing involved, but there are several rigorous walks that require participants to be in good physical condition. Alternatives are available for those who prefer not to hike.

Pricing Info

Tour land cost: $3,295 US Dollars based upon minimum of 9 paying participants. There is a small group surcharge of $200 if 5-8 paying participants. All our program prices are based on double occupancy unless noted in exceptions.

Single room supplement: $595; single rooms are subject to availability and are not guaranteed. We try to accommodate travelers who request single accommodations, as well as travelers who are looking for a roommate. If a single room is requested, or if we are unable to find a suitable roommate, you will be required to pay the supplement.

Note: The land costs on international tours is based upon current exchange rates. Although the rate has been relatively stable, should it change, there may need to be an adjustment in the land cost.

General Tour Info (includes, excludes and other details)