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Scotland 2013

Together with a friend I have been for 4 days in Scotland at the end of May in 2013. Since we both like photography this should be a pure "photo vacation", stay over night in the rental car at previously selected locations, went late to "bed" and get up really early. The fact that the sun went down towards 21-22 o'clock and raised again around 4 o'clock, no night actually was longer than 4 hours of comfortable sleep. It wasn't that uncomfortable, but the days were quite strenuous, as we were traveling a lot and have not slept really much.

Late tuesday afternoon we landed in Edinburgh and drove directly with the rental car toward the central of Scotland. The left-hand traffic was very used to, but after a few hours it was actually no longer a normal topic. Our first overnight target was at the Buachaille Etive Mòr, where we got up around 4 o'clock at the next morning and had a beautiful sunrise. Then we went through the Glen Coe valley to the Glenfinnan Viaduct. The Jacobite Steam Train from Fort William to Mallaig drove over the viaduct once a day at about 10:45 o'clock, what we do not want to miss. We were there at about 10 o'clock and still had to some time to let the environment affect on us. The viaduct has been used in several films, such as in some Harry Potter films. Then we went to Mallaig and took the ferry over to the Isle of Skye. We went to Elgol on a nice single track road, and were a little on the rock-strewn beach with the Cuillin mountains in the background. The next stop was Sligachan with an old stone bridge and some nice creeks. At the end of the first day we drove to Storr Mountains, where we wanted to hike up until the next day. Since it was not too late, we decided to hike just quickly to the Old Man of Storr. "Once and never again", I have heard this very often from my friend and he then passed out the hike on the next morning!

At 3 o'clock in the morning, I hiked to the Old Man Of Storr in about 35 minutes and there I rested and enjoyed the sunrise and took some pictures. I was on my own there, but only for a short time with two czech photographers. We went on the peninsula Trotternish to Quiraing landscape, where we stopped for some time. Then we went to Dunvegan, where we took a shower at a campsite and had lunch at a small cafe a while before we went to Neist Point. Here we spent the rest of the day, a truly magical place. The peninsula, with the lighthouse and the cliff with 100m height is just right at sunset a nice photo motive.

Because of the morning fog, this night was a little bit longer. Again we went to Sligachan and then to Kyleakin to the Skye Bridge and then on to Eilean Donan Castle, one of the most famous castles in Scotland and the setting for many films. We went past the unglamorous Loch Ness and Inverness to Bow Fiddle Rock. Late in the evening then it has rained for the first time and it was very cloudy, everything seemed back after a longer night.

But the sky was clear in time for sunrise and we were able to enjoy a beautiful sunrise at the Bow Fiddle Rock. Then we went on the east coast at Stonehaven to Dunnottar Castle, a beautifully situated mountain ruin. A little further south is one of the largest breeding colonies of seabirds in Scotland and I wanted once again see puffins. At the official sections, there were none to be found, because the winter was very long and they are a bit behind the time. But after a few kilometers walk along the cliff I could still find a few. It really is a great experience to watch these little cuddly birds. Then we went to Edinburgh, where we stopped again at the Forth Bridge before went back to the airport.

After a short night at the baggage claim we went back early in the morning to Germany. You get used to it, to get up at 4 o'clock in the morning! There were a couple of great days with really good weather, on which we have experienced a lot and have taken away a lot of impressions.

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