ISLE OF MULL COLONSAY & ISLAY SCOTLAND APRIL 2023 Sold out

Wild Light Hebridean Island Odyssey

Destination summary 

Isle of Mull

This Epic photo adventure sees the return of a classic inner Hebridean Island and favourite of mine,  The Isle of Mull.

But magnificent Mull is  just the beginning of this island odyssey as we aim to visit and photograph 6 island’s in total. The other main bases you’ll  experience are the Isle of  Colonsay named after St Columba and the Queen of the Hebrides,  Islay.

All a million miles away from the hustle and bustle of the mainland  these beautiful island’s sit just off Scotland’s west coast in the North Atlantic.

Our first sessions capture some of Mull’s best locations including the old boats at Salen, Loch Na Keal, the Sound of Mull and Eos Fors falls . You’ll also be visiting the islands of Iona, Staffa ( Fingal’s Cave ) and Lunga to photograph the visiting Puffins that land here to nest every spring.

Isle of Colonsay

From Mull we return to Oban for the ferry ride out to remote little Colonsay . Two miles wide and about nine miles long, it’s populated with about 130 hardy souls and really is quite the world apart.

Colonsay is where St Columba is said to have first landed on his mission from Ireland to introduce Christianity to Britain. So we’ll take in the what he must have seen while we explore some of its rugged coastline, climb to one of its best viewpoints, and set up for a dusk photo session over beautiful Kiloran Bay.

We can then refresh ourselves that evening having stocked up at the Wild Island Gin Distillery and Brewery. Colonsay is the smallest island in the world to have one !

There’s a visit to  the old settlement ruins of Riasg Buidhe and pretty Cable bay which could both provide an evocative setting for our other evening  sessions.

Just off shore to the south lies the small tide isle of Oronsay with its ancient priory and subject to tide times we could take the walk over the tidal strand to experience and capture this remotest of settings.

Islay and Jura

Mention Islay to “folk in the know” and they’ll  instantly think of clear Atlantic waters lapping onto quiet, pristine sandy beaches. Iconic white washed distilleries and of course uisce beatha, the water of life – Whisky.

I have fond but vague memories of visits to Islay’s early whisky festivals in the 1990’s and she  produces some of Scotland’s most famous and distinctive (peaty) varieties of whisky including Bowmore, Ardbeg, Bunnahabhain (my favourite) and Lagavulin which we might just pay a visit to with its most photogenic of locations.

Islay’s nine picturesque distilleries adorned with their names proudly painted in black on the white walls date from as far back as the 18th century.

Most sit perched on the seashore, providing fantastic photogenic material to  complement the beaches, blue – green bays, white washed villages and vistas that give Islay its own distinctive character.

From Islay after a couple of nights we return to the mainland and the drive back up the Kintyre peninsula through Inveraray ( the seat of Clan Campbell) down by the western shore of  Loch Lomond and into Glasgow where you’ll be dropped of mid-evening.

A true island Odyssey which promises to leave a lasting impression and rich photographic folio of wild Hebridean light.

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Accommodation 

All rooms will be single occupancy when available with breakfast*

Isle of Mull – The comfortable Ross of Mull bunkhouse* – exclusive use – 3 nights

Isle of Colonsay – the Colonsay Estate – Pond Cottage and the Stables  – 3 nights

Islay – The Black House – Modern designed house exclusive use – 2 nights

*The locations and these islands offer limited accommodation options so some room share and bunk beds may be required.

More details coming soon

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