Extra Winter Wildlife anyone?

September 9 2010

Our Winter Wildlife photo-tours are all now fully booked but there is still a slot to add an extra tour. If you're interested in booking a place, please do let us know as we're presently gauging interest. Can't promise any snow, can't guarantee against too much snow - pays your money, takes your chance!

Dates are likely to be March 5-11 2011.

http://www.northshots.com/photo_tours_view.asp?ID=9

Squirrel hide for hire.

July 9 2010

After several years of fending it off, we've relented and decided to offer our purpose-built red squirrel hide for hire. It will only be available when we are not running workshops and only through the winter months - which is by far the best time anyway. If any blog readers have photographer friends visiting the Cairngorms this winter, please do alert them. See details in our Photo-tours pages.

Winter Wildlife 2011

May 19 2010

We've added extra dates to our Winter Wildlife programme for 2011. These tours book out quickly so if you want to join us for snow, snow and more snow (well actually perhaps not as much as this year), follow the link below.

http://www.northshots.com/photo_tours_view.asp?ID=9

Or perhaps not...

March 30 2010

When I say "we've just emerged from winter", what I should have added was that the emergence was (extremely) temporary! The Highlands has been plunged back into the icy grip, with blizzards raging across northern Scotland.
I managed to battle my way up to a local deer site today - I'll post some images later - but it was tough going with horizontal snow and winds straight out of the north. OK, so I drove up...OK, so someone drove me up...but it was still cold!
Thanks to Graham - you should have taken your camera!

Phew...

March 22 2010

I have to be honest - I'm knackered!

Six weeks of almost back to back photo-tours, (very) deep snow, car collisions, heating and water failures...and trying to keep the rest of the business afloat...well let's just say the prospect of a night in front of the TV is appealing! Don't get me wrong, we've had fantastic groups in this year and the weather for the most part has been kind, but I've hardly spoken to my son for what seems like months!

Thank you so much to all 96 tour guests for your good company (and valued custom) in recent weeks. Spring is now officially here - onwards and upwards!

You sow and thus reap.

March 5 2010

The wind was looking for a fight this morning and the sky looked ominous. Last week I took a group onto Cairngorm and the weather beat us back - I was expecting no different today. To be honest if I'd been on my own, I wouldn't have gone...but I did...we did...and thanks to Luis, Andrea and Ruben for that.

In worsening conditions verging on white-out, we not only found a small group of ptarmigan but a rather...no, very...obliging Mountain Hare. Sometimes I just love this place to bits!

And more forecast!

March 4 2010

Apologies for the gap between entries - it's been a hectic period with photo-tours continuing apace. Our 'Arctic' group were snowed in for an extra day and the last of our Winter Wildlife groups (six of which are from Portugal) have enjoyed settled weather but with limited mobility. A half-metre of snow continues to make walking tricky and if the forecast for a further delivery tomorrow is correct, an interesting weekend awaits!

More to follow...

The white stuff aplenty!

February 25 2010

Well what an night! It started off as a breezy suggestion of winter and ended up as a full-scale blizzard with drifts that swallowed my poor old spaniel whole!
Our Slice of the Arctic tour may not have turned out as guests had expected but the description was apt! Alongside my favourite creative best for the afternoon, is Amanda's car and half of our pioneering group who have remained good-humoured throughout. Mind you, they don't know that they can't get home yet!
Thanks to Steve (x 2), Karen, Annie, Chris, Gill and Graham for at least being brave!

There's a price to pay...

February 18 2010

...for snow I mean. Don't get me wrong, it looks fantastic and as camera fodder, it's unbeatable but boy can it be hard work.

This morning saw the conclusion of the latest in our series of Winter Wildlife photo-tours. Guests were 'privileged' to be in a Land Rover precariously sliding on ice next to a deep wooded ravine; having the opportunity to push an out-of-control VW minibus away from a guaranteed collision and finally, racing their prized motor cars full tilt up our snow-laden access track just to get home...and only one failed to accomplish their RAC Rally qualification (sorry Ken!) So, here I am back in the office where I can take a break from life on the knife-edge (and I wasn't even guiding!) Now I can get on filling in the claim form for Amanda's coming together with Emma's poor old VW Polo just yesterday.

Yes it looks great but my nerves and bank balance prefer life without the white stuff. But don't let any of this put you off coming!! And thanks to all those who (I think) enjoyed the snow-laden Highlands this last week.

Sometimes you've just got to do it.

February 12 2010

Some photographers - and I'm one of them - get so wrapped up in projects, outputs, submissions, features, books, tours, blog updating...the list goes on, they forget to do what set them on fire originally - engineering close encounters with wild places and wild creatures.

Today was a day I just had to get out of the office - and what a day! Not a breath of wind on the mountain, light to die for and fresh snow. Thanks to Sam, Chris and an obliging group of ptarmigan for good company.