Meall An T Seallaidh (Hill of Views)

So without further ado ... here is my first video of a winter walk I did on 27th December.

I found I was not as fit as I thought I was.

Soft snow soon stripped me of my stamina and by the time O got to the summit.. which is only approx. one third of the distance of the full ridge walk ... I was exhausted.

I kept plodding round the ridge but was glad when I got back to the car. My legs ached all night.

I was correct with my thinking on the tripod. It would have proved useless on a windy mountain top. The Sony's stabilisation system does the job just fine. That is the reason I went for this camera .. reviews mention its the best stabilisation system for camcorders in this price range. I'm still delighted with the camcorder.

Here is the video..it was recorder in full HD quality and not 4K. The walking shots are taken by the Gopro in its Karma gimbal which is great. The Gopro footage deteriorates a little on the internet when its shot in low light..but I don't mind.. after all ... Im a low budget movie maker. A couple of years ago and footage like this was impossible for normal home video users

Here is the video .. hope you enjoy it. If you do... don't be afraid to hit the like button :-D

Be sure to watch it in HD if you have the bandwidth.

Direct link to video on U Tube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vYjPc4vHoEg

North Third Reservoir and the Sony AX53

Before taking the Sony camcorder on my hill walks ... I wanted to try a final test. To record in the highest quality of 4K at 100mbits per second. I took it on a local walk where I used to regularly take "Holly" my old dog.

I took a tripod with me too as I wanted to see how it would fit in my filming techniques. I soon discovered that at high zoom levels.. I was better off hand holding the camcorder. The reason being .. the wind vibrated the camera and tripod which caused annoying shake. The camcorders in built stabilisation system detects its on a tripod and switches itself off ? The tripod head I used was for a camera and not a video camera..so it was difficult to pan with. Touching controls to zoom also shook the footage.

Once set and if there was no wind..it worked great ..but there is generally strong winds on mountain tops.. so for now I wont lug it up the hills. Hand held will give steadier footage.

I tried the tripod on some swans ..hoping for some great steady footage. Again..I think a monopod would possibly be better for wild life. Even swans swim around and go out of frame quite quickly.

However the footage was good when they sat still for a few seconds. The swans were approx. 300 meters from me.

The 4K video quality doesn't show on my computer screen or normal TV. The files produced are huge and would soon swamp my hard drive space. The computer I have which is only a year old .. slows right down trying to edit the footage ... so again .. for me the 4K quality is not worth recording. The full HD quality footage at 50 frames per second is more than excellent for my needs

Here is the test video I made using the 4K footage converted to HD for U Tube viewing

Direct Link on U Tube..

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MZG5_Oo7qgE

Dollar Glen and Castle Campbell

Yesterday was another damp misty day ..so I'm still waiting clear days to try the Sony AX53 camcorder at its best.

The weather is due to the mild air moving in after the bitter cold spell that brought the early snows. I'm afraid its not going to be a white Xmas this year ..not with temperatures hovering around 10 degrees C.

I still took my new camcorder for a walk in the mist .. so chose another subject that benefits from dull days. More waterfalls .. except this time in Dollar Glen.

The attached video is my first attempt at combining both the Gopro Hero 5 footage with the Sony AX53 footage ... and I'm delighted to say.. you cant see the joins. Testament to the good image quality of both cameras.

They complement each other perfectly. The wide angle of the Gopro and steady gimbal shots are ideal for walking clips. The Zoom of the Sony is perfect for the close work. Just like carrying different lenses for my DSLR ..which I don't use much nowadays.

These photos are all clips from the video

20x zoom is great for seeing the birds.. ok..it was difficult as the sky was a monotone grey mist.. so a bit blown ..but it looks fine in the final movie

This 20x zoom is of Castle Campbell from Dollar ..and it was shrouded in mist so the hills behind it look very atmospheric

And another few waterfall shots from deep in the dark gloomy Glen. All in all.. I'm delighted with my video setup.

And here is my final video telling the story of Dollar Glen .. hope you find it of interest.. and a Merry Xmas to you all too.

The direct link to the video on U Tube.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=rmP_XIVGwzQ

First outing with the Sony FDR-AX53 camcorder

I took the camcorder for its first walk ..into Alva Glen. It was a most enjoyable experience although not the best day for a first trial run with the camera.

It was dull damp and misty ..so the available light was low..but the Sony didn't complain. I'm sure it will do a lot better too ..once I learn how to use it. I only had a quick glance at the manual before heading out. I recorded in full HD 50p so yet to try its full resolution of 4K.

Anyhoo..here is the video..you can see for yourselves what I thought and how it coped :-D

Direct link to video on U Tube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BpMPxAGKq9k

What do you do with yourself all Day ?!!

Yup .."What do you do with yourself all day ... now that you have retired DonnyW ?"

I get asked that a lot from friends and workmates who are still doing the nine to five grind. In fact in my line of work it was often .. start travelling to work at 7am and home for 6pm .. if I was lucky.

I don't have a set answer to what I do all day as every day is different. Seasons also affect what I do. Summer is boating season .. winter is hill walking season.

I cant say I spent too much of my time blogging .. although I have returned to doing it. I do spend a fair amount of time in the evenings on the internet. I enjoy researching places to visit and things I may want to purchase.

I enjoy DIY and am quite handy with saws .. plumbing gear .. brick work etc. I also don't mind spending time gardening when its in season.

I also enjoy a whole host of hobbies .. from painting pictures to photography. However since I retired two years ago ..my interest in photography has taken a bit of a back seat to my recent interest in video making

I bought myself a Gopro last spring ..which was my introduction to that hobby.

For me .. it helps tell the story of my boat trips and walks in a way that photos and words cant.

I quickly realised that my Gopro footage was a bit shaky for showing others .. so I bought the Gopro Karma Gimbal. It smoothes out the bumps and jumps. I also have a small tripod that fits in a pocket ..so I can rest the Gopro on the ground as I walk past it. I'm sure you will have seen those clips. Its not because I particular want to plaster myself over the internet.. but it adds interest to the videos ..and helps with the story lines.

This is my Gopro set up .. the Karma gimbal holding the Gopro Hero 5 and its on the pocket sized tripod.

Now.. call me a big wummin if you wish .. but I also have another hobby I enjoy. I like using my late mother,s sewing machine. I have made tents.. boat covers .. bow dodgers etc. with it.

I also made a nifty carry bag for my Gopro equipment. The Camera and gimbal fit in one side of the bag .. the tripod in the other side. It makes it very easy to carry while walking ..and the camera is always at hand for the clips I take as I go about my adventures.

I enjoy make the videos and I'm delighted that some of you enjoy watching them. I feel that I have almost mastered the Gopro camera and the software that I use to compile the videos. However I am very aware that the Gopro has its limitations. Its a great setup for my boat adventures as its waterproof.

I have been struggling trying to capture the views from the hilltops the way I wanted .. with the camera. Distant hills are dots on the horizon. It needs a zoom lens. But I realise its not that kind of camera. Its fish eye lens captures big horizons but in doing so it shrinks and compresses the details. 

I decided I wanted to expand my video making hobby by having the facility to zoom. An example is the Alva Glen waterfall. This is the closest I can get to the waterfall and the largest "zoom" the Gopro will give of the falls.

Yesterday I decided..enough is enough.. I want to get closer ..so bought myself a dedicated Camcorder. It has a x20 optical zoom .. so now I can see that very small waterfall in the gully ..above the main waterfall. Here is the still photo.

I'm delighted with the new camcorder and now have a lot of new tricks to learn.. which all takes up my time too.

In fact..I often wonder how I managed to do a days work when I was a working man .. as well as everything else I love doing.

The Camcorder I bought was the Sony AX53. I have been using it in Alva Glen today..so there will be another video story soon. I have also been busy making it a decent carry bag.

Its all part the reason why I have been absent from blogging this past week.. life is very busy when retired :-D

Ben Each ... Racing the storm

I guess I'm a bit like a toddler when they first discover how to use their legs. Having been denied the motivation for hill walking for over a year ..due to lousy liver disease .. then finding it again .. I cant keep myself away from the hills.

I'm still suffering a little withdrawal from the treatment pills .. which is understandable after relying on them for the past three months .. as I had a slight panic attack on Tuesday. I had planned to go walking in the morning and being off the hills by lunch time as the forecast was for deteriorating weather starting around noon.

I was up bright and early and witnessed a stunning red sky sunrise as I made my way to Ben Each which is around 30 miles from my house. Then..for some unknown reason .. my heart sank and I started to panic ?

Did I close the front door of my house when I left ? The more I thought about it ..the more convinced I was that I had left it wide open. I remember seeing it wide open as I scraped the ice of the car windows ..but couldn't remember closing it.

Of course I had had to turn around and go back to close it as I live alone. When I got back.. I found I had closed it ..which gave me some peace of mind. However I was now delayed by an hour for my walk. I blame the pills I'm no longer taking ..it certainly was not absent mindedness.

I still enjoyed my hill walk and it was a fine but overcast morning. Still bitterly cold and a fair amount of snow on the ground

I took my time heading along the track to the hill

Then started the steep climb to its summit ..the views were stunning although they were mostly shades of grey. Not much colour around because the snow and grey clouds

I saw a fair amount of wild life too but it was all to fast for me to photograph or too far away for my camera. A white hare gave me a fright when I almost stood on it .. it was that close. A Ptarmigan scurried away as I tried tto get my camera out its bag. This herd of around 40 deer kept well away from me. I must have had bad BO.

From the summit of Ben Each ... Stuc a Chroin looked magnificent and the ridge from Ben Each onto its summit is my favourite way of doing that Munro.

However ..I had no sooner reached the summit of Ben Each when the sky darkened and the clouds closed in. I was happy to head back before visibility deteriorated because I also forgot my map. I left it in the car .. bloody pill withdrawals again !! However I know Ben Each reasonably well so did not return for it when I realised I had left it behind.

The clouds starting to collect on Ben Ledi ..just across the loch from Ben Each

My video tells the story of my walk better ..so here it is . hope you find it of interest 

Direct link to video on U Tube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZxhYQgQZXKo

A Little Celebration ...

I had a small celebration this last weekend. I hopefully took my last pill for lousy liver disease.

The pill .. which costs around £600 per pop .. was a very bitter pill to swallow when I started the treatment three months ago.. but in the later days.. it was the sweetest thing I ever swallowed.

Common side effects of the pill include fatigue ..insomnia ..headaches and mood swings. I never noticed any of them to any great extent. All I know that at the start of September when I started the treatment .. I could hardly walk into town for my shopping. A few weeks later I noticed energy returning and I started hill walking again. You may have seen those videos as proof of my recovery.

The miracles of modern medicine. It could have been liver transplant time if it was still diseased. So you can understand my small celebration.

So how did I celebrate ?

I washed the last pill into my stomach with a very tasty small glass of Jura Superstition whisky .. the first alcohol I have had in three months.

Then I put on my walking boots and clambered up Ben Vorlich.

I will spare you watching a video of me swallowing the pill .. but here is the hill walk video.

Direct link to video on U Tube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0XUsuTGFejk

Into the Wilderness ... Loch Fleet

While the West gets the best of the beautiful sunsets .. the East coast definitely wins with the sunrise.

Golspie sea front is picturesque at the best of times as this photo of a boat in the harbour hopefully illustrates ...

But add a lovely red sky over the early morning north sea and the shore line is simply stunning ...

But a red sky in the morning is often thought of as a Shepherd's warning ..for a wet day 

And it was a heavy shower day when I walked along the shore at Loch Fleet ..which is just south of Golspie. This video tells that story.

direct link to the video on U Tube

https://youtu.be/knJyD4wt8H0

Into the Wilderness ... Dunrobin Castle

I forgot to include the video of Dunrobin Castle in my last post .. so here it is now.

It also includes short visits to one or two other old castles in the North East of Scotland

Grinigoe Castle

Kiess Castle

Dunrobin Castle Video

Direct link to video on U Tube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UyjWi3HTo2E

Into The Wilderness ... Golspie

I enjoyed my visit to Portmahomack and Tarbet Ness ... but soon it was time to move on again. I decided to follow part of the "new" tourist trap of the North. The North Coast 500 route.

Although its advertised as Scotland's new route.. I first recall doing it on a small Yamaha DT175 motor bike in the late 70's and then many times thereafter. The only thing I noticed different about it now ... is how popular it has become as many "New" people discover the area. This is a good thing for tourism.. but it has distracted a bit from the "Wilderness" feeling for me.

Anyhoo..I headed for Golspie as I wanted to walk part of the North Coast from Golspie to Brora. Its a lovely area and as most folk going on the North Coast 500 route don't appear to like walking .. it was surprisingly quiet.

My reason for wanting to walk this part of the coast was to see Dunrobin Castle. Its a picturesque castle I always wanted to photograph ..but never stopped as I always assumed it would be a very expensive admission fee. However I was delighted when I found out it was only £9.50 for a poor pensioner ... so happily parted with that amount and really enjoyed my visit.

The castle was very busy with tourists ..and it was a warm summer day. I confess to being a little conscious of my "natural" odour as I walked among the sweaty crowds in the confines of the castle interior. I knew I had been washing in burns for a few days.. so the parts I may have missed ..must have added to the atmosphere of the castle visit for other tourists. Not that it spoiled my visit .. nor the visit of others.. but the did not crowd me in.

It inspired this video ... which also covers Badbea and the Whaligo Steps

Direct Link to video on U Tube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xPQ-_pItaG8

Ben Ledi and The Stank Glen

Another intermission break in my "Into the Wilderness" series of videos.

This time its my latest winter walk up Ben Ledi in the Trossachs. Returning by the Stank Glen. I knew a new path had be constructed to the top and was keen to see it for myself. This one is a big improvement on the old erosion scar path that I used to walk. Its not such an eyesore as the new path up Ben Venue either.

It was another bitter cold day and although I have yet to use my crampons this winter ..I did use the Katoola chains that I bought a couple of years ago. They certainly make walking icy paths much easier ..and not so awkward to walk with as a set of full crampons.

Direct link to the video on U Tube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jR8OaV9agQA

Into the Wilderness ... Tarbat Ness

Following my morning fishing at Portmahomack .. where I enjoyed my fill of mackerel ..it was time for a walk around Tarbat Ness.

Tarbat Ness lighthouse is the most easterly in Scotland and is the third highest. Its distinctive red bands make it a pretty photo on such a lovely summer day.

I then had a look round the Discovery Centre which features some fine Pictish relics and art works.

Although I was not so impressed with their whale vertebrae exhibit.

I think my own collection  of dead sea creature bones from my inflatable boat journeys is far more artistic.

I made this video to recall this fine day during the cold dark days of winter. Hope it makes you dream of summer weather again too.

Direct Link to video on U Tube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=pv6D4CXgvOs

Into The Wilderness ... Portmahomack

Returning to the North .. I headed for Portmahomack .. another village from distant childhood memories. I chose the east coast this time because the forecast for the west was wet and windy. But dryer in the east. There are less midges to bother me which was also a bonus.

The negatives for the east coast for me is it more populated and the land cultivated ... which meant finding overnight car camp spots a bit harder. The coastline has little shelter from the swells on the North Sea.

As it was forecasted to be windy .. I took my smallest boat .. it would take up little room in the car. My idea was to explore the east coast by foot.

The harvest was golden ripe in the fields .. in contract to the bleak heather moors of the west.

I arrive in Portmahomack in the evening to look for a suitable overnight camp spot. The sea was calm and I looked forward to a calm morning fishing for my breakfast

This video illustrated my small Avon inflatable performance very well.. and Im pleased to say..I didn’t go hungry.

Direct Link to video on U tube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Pd6HEM-oSrM

Into The Wilderness ... Sluggan Bay

After my journey around Priest Island and Little Loch Broom ... I was a bit stiff from sitting in the small boat for most of the day.

It was still a beautiful summer’s evening so I decided to visit Sluggan Bay and see its deserted village. I wasn’t going by boat this time .. I was happy to walk for the exercise.

Here is a short video of that walk. Nothing spectacular ..but it let me see another part of the coast that I had not seen before. There were lovely clear views from Sluggan across to Harris and Lewis in the Outer Hebrides.

Direct Link to video on U tube

https://youtu.be/oqNuZLSryeA


The following morning I headed for home .. to check on my mail .. have a good clean out of the car ..rest a day or two .. wash clothes ... before heading north again.

On the way ... I stopped off at the House of Bruar for a coffee and a leg stretch ... where I watched some canyon walkers below the Braur Falls.

Once my house was in order I headed for the north east coast of Scotland.. simply because the west looked very wet and windy from the weather forecasts.

Ben Cleuch by The Law

I'm still around ..and although I have been quiet on the blog for a day or two .. its because my love of the hills has been calling. Which is great news for me as my lousy liver disease took it away for a year or more. The pills are working.

Anyhoo .. the snows arrived on the Ochil hills on Friday afternoon and after a bitter cold night .. I couldn't wait to get out there. Possibly because my house was freezing during the day.

I clambered up Ben Cleuch again but this time by The Law. Its the most scenic way ..but its also the steepest way I go.

I'm glad I chose the Ochils on Saturday as the bitter cold and strong winds sapped my energy. A munro would have been much harder.

Here is the video of my first winter hill walk this year..hope its one of many more to come.

Direct link to video on U Tube
https://youtu.be/UisySIA7ygg

Into The Wilderness ... Litttle Loch Broom

Leaving Priest Island ... it was still only mid morning .. so I decided to have a look in Little Loch Broom. Then explored all the sandy beaches in Gruinard Bay. It really is a lovely area to explore.

This video tells the adventure well....

Direct link to video on U Tube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Z8l14D92iqs

Into The Wilderness ... Priest Island

In the evening ... following my Anthrax Island adventure ... I took a walk along the coastal cliffs from Mellon Udrigle campsite to Rubha Beag. I wanted to size up my next adventure. A four mile open sea crossing to Priest Island. Its one of the Summer Isles and I had missed it when I rounded them ... preferring to approach it from this side of the mainland.

It was still a bit breezy for the crossing .. but I hoped that by leaving early the following morning .. I could visit before either wind or common dolphins were around.

And that is exactly what I did.

Direct Link to my video on U Tube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=50Ua417HuBs

Into The Wilderness ... Gruinard (Anthrax) Island

Its amazing how a little sunshine can improve a grey mood ... so after a couple of days drying out on the east coast .. the weather improved again over on the west .. so I headed back to Gruinard Bay. It looked a far different place under blue sky. Warm and inviting again.

I had wanted to visit Gruinard Island for as long as I can remember. In the 1980’s I often passed it touring Scotland on my motor bikes and always stopped to wonder what it would be like walking there. Of course ..in those days it was still prohibited to land due to the dangers of the Anthrax experiment they conducted there ... testing germ warfare for WW2 requirements.

Its now clear of anthrax and landing is allowed.. although not many folks do. Some think the anthrax spores could still survive in the ground ? That rumour was not going to stop me from visiting. All I had to do was find the best place to launch my wee boat.

I chose the campsite at Mellon Udrigle.

It has a lovely sandy beach with easy access from the tent.

It was a blustery day but I was impatient to be on my way. The waves didn’t bother me.. but I got a bit of a surprise half way across the bay.

This video illustrates perfectly what happened that day

Direct link to the video on U Tube

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=w42CWC5nTjI

Into the Wilderness .. A few Grey Gruinard Days

Refreshed from my blue sky day exploring the Summer Isles ... and cleansed by several hot showers at the campsite ... I felt it was time to move on again.

The weather turned to the grey “Scotch Mist” type of day where it neither rains nor does it turn dry. I was still happy just sitting in silent solitude ..doing absolutely nothing.

I found an open field gate not far from Little Loch Broom and with the four wheel drive car ..set up camp in a sheltered area of the field.

I stayed a couple of days .. happily beachcombing the area in between the light showers of rain

There are quite a few deserted sandy beaches and hidden coves on the edge of Gruinard Bay.

I longed for the sun to return as I was keen to launch my boat again and explore Gruinard Island as well as Priest Island. 

But when I awoke on the third consecutive dull day of damp .. and looked over to Gruinard Island .. I decided.. enough is enough.

The forecast over on the east coast was for much dryer weather ..so I nipped across to the Black Isle and Fortrose. I knew that area well from childhood days living in Dingwall.

That trip to the east coast inspired this video

Direct link to video on U Tube
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Nv69So87NOg