Moments of Quiet

It’s easy to imagine my life as a perpetual vacation and in many ways that’s not far from the truth.  One of the ways in which it’s misleading though is that most people want to pack their vacations with as much as they can.  It makes sense given how little vacation time most people have, but it’s strange that even vacations taken to relax are often packed solid with meditation classes, spas and one massage after another, leaving hardly a moment for calm reflection.

Part of being a photographer is taking the time to notice the beauty of ordinary things.

For me there is no such hurry, so I often live life at a measured pace.  While intense moments

Inverness Castle

A recent conversation with a friend reminded me of all the amazing beauty I’d seen when traveling through Scotland last year.  One of the many places I visited which was never featured on An Out of the Way Place was Inverness, the Florence of Scotland.  Located on the southern tip of the famous Lock Ness, the city is built along the River Ness and overlooked by the picturesque Inverness Castle.  I captured this photo late one night when the moon briefly appeared between the seemingly ever-present Scottish rain clouds.

Although a castle has loomed on the hill since the time of MacBeth, the current structure is a “recent” 1836 reconstruction.

A Seal from Mull

The greater part of my time on the Isle of Mull  was spent in three places: the ferry waiting room, the bus and the ferry itself (which I suppose isn’t even technically on Mull at all).  Alas, these are not the places where high drama are normally found, but the beauty of being a traveler is that even the normal life of a new place can offer something fascinating to the visitor.

Views like these were more than enough compensation for the isolation.

The waiting room, thanks to the one bus a day schedule, was

The Isle of Iona

Feeling brave, or perhaps simply delusional after continuing to read Endurance, I decided to challenge the elements to a duel. I would camp thereby saving money on a hostel and braving the weather in the process. The field of battle was the isle of Iona, the remote island St. Columba set up his monastery on in 563 as he sought to bring Christianity to the Picts – the Scots’ ancient ancestors.

The Famous Iona Abbey

The Scene of the Battle

For the duel I was equipped with

Highlands and Islands

After a relaxed winter where I took advantage of the extended hospitality of numerous friends, lounging around for weeks at a time, I have at last begun what will be at least three months of continuous adventure travel.

At least there's no danger of strong sunlight...

In all honesty things are off to a rough start. I have a toothache, my computer won’t charge (I’m writing this on my phone), my camera is gone and the weather forecast is rain all week. Still, i know things could be worse. Last night I lay in my hostel bed in Oban