Scotland and the British Isles

When I was a child the one special place that I always wanted to visit when I grew up was Scotland. Maybe it was because my first girlfriend was a Scot or my favorite movie was Rob Roy or because Brigadoon was a big hit. Whatever it was I was determined to visit Scotland and especially the Hebridean Islands lying off of the west coast. Orwell had written "1984" in the Hebrides and that was another attraction as he was a hero of mine.

Anyway; I was fortunate to be able to visit Scotland and the Hebrides on four different occasions and for extended periods of time. My favorite location was the Isle of Skye and I made some lasting friendships with the people whose cottage I rented for every visit. The couple are both gone now but I will never forget their warmth and hospitality whenever we were together. At about the time I lost these great friends a new mammoth bridge was built from the mainland of Scotland to Skye and it completely changed the character of this fantastic place. Prior to this, one had to board a ferry and cross the Kyle of Lochalch to Kyleakin on Skye, leaving the outside world behind. Today; all of Europe can cross to the island by car or bus, destroying the the essence of this unique and dream-like utopia. Thus, photographs chronicle and preserve the Hebrides as they were before the onslaught of the twenty-first century.

The photos that I am exhibiting on my blog this month are but a sampling of the enormous number of negatives that I was able to capture during my stays at Pier House on Skye. I hope you enjoy seeing them and will leave a comment.