As the local weather here over midsummer has been so wet, wild and windy, I was inspired to continue to look back on midsummer 2 years ago* when we were on the wild North West coast of Scotland….which in reality was not that wild.
Scourie is a small ‘one time’ fishing village surrounded by a rocky moorland landscape on three sides and the Atlantic Ocean on the forth. When the weather is bad it sweeps in from North America or down from Greenland.
The up-side are the open vista that the ocean provides; some fantastic views both over the sea and also along the rugged Scottish coast………
…………the ever changing sky adds to the drama of the scene but the wide open expanse dwarfs the surrounding cliffs and distant mountains of the Assynt peninsula with its majestic mountains of Canisp, Suilven and Stac Polly mere pimples on the horizon. The whole area is now defined as a National Geo Park (Geological Nature Reserve) and the nature of the underlying geology is perhaps well illustrated with this view of Scourie beach and bay where the lichen is as attractive and abundant as the rocks.
One cannot deny the extremes of this regions climate, very wild, wet and in the winter, snow and ice bound, but also when it chooses it can be warm and sunny.
Yet just a few miles to the south sharing the same Atlantic weather is Inverewe Gardens a spectacular ‘tropical’ garden created some 100 years ago by the then owner who recognised that whilst the weather could indeed be wild it could also benefit from the warm air and waters of the Gulf Stream.
Just 4 images from a garden that does indeed live up to its brag of being a ‘tropical’ garden, with Lavender from France and Eucalyptus from Australia merging with other Mediterranean and British plants….an eclectic mix that does much to satisfy the inner sole.
(For those with a photographic interest all the above images, except one, are HDR images taken at a time when I was starting to play with the technique….a technique I am still learning and still none too sure if I like or not)
Images taken on 22 & 23rd June 2010.
23 JUNE 2012
DAVID OAKES - IMAGES. 
Hi,
Fantastic garden and to think it is 100 years old, just amazing. The people who originally started the garden certainly did their homework, such an amazing variety of plants, just beautiful. 🙂
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Across europe there were many gifted, wealthy and inspiring people who creatred great gardens, imported plants and left us with a legacy to enjoy. Not sure that to-days wealthy are as generous benefactors nor as inspirational.
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I love the lavendar!
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….and the smell was just fantastic and remained with you for some time.
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I remember being in Scourie just before Christmas a long time ago – it was blowing a gale all the time which rocked our small Escort van – but the clouds just sailed on over our heads and it stayed dry. A lovely area! thanks for triggering off that memory.
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I can also confirm that the winds are something else there. On our last ay we had to move from our coast location as gales were forecast. Now there are gales and then there are Scourie gales……we were heading up to Durness then round the north coast to Dunnet Bay. It was trange to have the car shaken so badly by the gales yet being overtaken by the clouds best described as whipping across the sky. Still a great experience.
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Excellent pix of the type of environment I enjoy — rugged, wet, windy and absolutely fabulous, but, then, I’m a Nature-bird ! The eucalypt looks good too (and all the other plants too).
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Thank you…. I hope to bring you some more in the near future
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I like these very much! I haven’t tried HDR but I’m tempted. That’s an interesting tree. Are the coloring and markings on it natural?
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Yes the tree trunk is exactly like that. The picture is an HDR which has emphasised the detail and helped see into the shadow areas. They are a strange tree and each trunk varies in colours but all along the same them. Still not sure about HDR for general scenics, works on some but not others and learning which to do and which to avoid is the trick I haven’t learn’t yet. But I have found it great for some garden shots, it emphasis detail, does broaden the tonal range and retains colours well……but still learning
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The tree is almost certainly a Eucalyptus. There are some 111 or so varieties, and they are quite a study. This is a beautiful specimen. I have found very similar ones in Australia, including Tasmania.
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I was told by the head gardener that this Eucalyptus had ‘survived’ at least 100 Scottish winters
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WOW! The colours fascinated me dear David. What a beautiful views… Thank you, with my love, nia
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A lot of wonderful post here, David. Like them a lot. A lot of sunshine, but rain can give good colours too. (i am an rain expert)…
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Not sure I want to become a Rain Expert…..but getting lots of practise of late.
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To my way of thinking, very good use of HDR. If this is the way you visualized the scenes, I am happy to accept them as your artistic vision, and they are really striking. If, in future iterations, you choose to tone them down a bit, so be it, but keep these nonetheless; they will stand alone.
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Got the message!….as I say still not sure HDR is for me. Though I do now like it for detail Florals where the expanded tone and colour range can be better described.
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