48hrs in the North-West of Scotland - Part 2

See the first part of this story here. 

After our early morning hike, we headed down to Achmelvich Beach to book a camping spot for that night at Shore Campsite. This is the first time we have been here and it took our breath away. The location is stunning and the camping facilities are fab. There's even a fish and chip shop on site. We had a quick wander on the beach before heading up to Stoer Head Lighthouse. 

Stoer Head, the site of the most remote toilet on Scottish mainland. You can get a fab cuppa here courtesy of the Blue Tea Van. We set off on an extended walk to the Old Man of Stoer. Ended up adding another 12k onto our day of walking. 

It's a real luxury for me to shoot film. I'd love to tell you that my personal photography has real intention and purpose, that l carefully set up my shots with tripod and timer in hand, that l spend hours in post processing perfecting my images but that couldn't be farther from the truth.  Here's how it usually goes down. l throw a bag on my back full of snacks, nappies, wipes, drinks, spare clothes, suncream, midge repellent etc. l throw my camera over my shoulder with the one lens l can manage to carry on top of everything else. The kids and l play whilst l sneakily try to get them to a location l want to shoot. l answer 5000 questions, deal with grubby noses and sibling arguments, offer refreshments and when l can, l point and shoot. But when l am shooting client work or manage to escape for a trip without kids, it's a revelation. l have time to really take in the scene, to work out the best vantage points, to shoot at awkward times, to shoot in locations that are difficult to access. This was one of those occasions. There is no way l could have taken the kids to the Old Man of Stoer, unless l had them chained to my back, which isn't really that practical or fun. 

Looking back to Stoer Head.

We were pretty wiped after more walking so headed back to the campsite for some R&R. A little glass of wine on the beach and we soon retired to bed. 

The next morning was hot but overcast. We explored some more, enjoyed some bacon sarnies, took some more pictures and then reluctantly made our way home. I'm already planning when to return. I love this part of Scotland. It's truly breath-taking and has everything that the outdoor enthusiast could ever need.