The Top of Glencoe.

I left home at silly o’clock this morning aiming to arrive at Glencoe in time to see the sunrise for a bit of landscape photography. The phrase “Catch the Golden Hour” had featured in The Plan which was conceived a month ago - and was sound as far as it went. The Glencoe scenery was spectacular but not really suited to my current style though, I did spend a very pleasant hour in the gently falling snow with camera and tripod before venturing into the craft shop/café at the bottom of the glen just in time to be their first customer of the day. The hot coffee and generous portion of chocolate cake were ideal for a young lad’s breakfast after such activities.
 
The problems started about 20 miles later on a 13 mile stretch of the A87, not exactly a minor road, when I rolled up behind a line of stationary traffic (see extra). The story was that a lorry had overshot a bend and two cars had collided; whether this was one or two accidents wasn’t at all clear, though it was obvious that the local council had not heeded the weather forecasts over the previous week and gritted the road. Other minor roads – yes, but not this major one over the hills. It was only after four hours of intermittent but heavy snow that a gritting lorry eventually arrived and, even then, the road could only be passed with caution. Had I been familiar with the local geography, I could have turned round right at the start and taken a different route avoiding the delay; perhaps I should keep a map in the car.
 

The rest of the plan, now out of the windae, was to arrive on Skye in the early afternoon to continue my photographic exploits at sites that I know well from well-known photographers. Though I did arrive at the hostel in Uig on time, any thoughts of an enjoyable meal out followed by a leisurely evening were discarded and it was an early night.