Caithness & Sutherland Masterclass

Duration of Course:   6 days ----- £1095
(Half Board Single Occupancy of twin/double ensuite rooms).

* Maximum group size FIVE

* Dawn - Dusk field tuition

* Evening lectures / review / Photoshop post processing work

* All transport at location included. (7 seat MPV)

* Pick up/drop off to/from Inverness airport bus and train Station.

Caithness and Sutherland are two of the remotest and in my opinion, most inspiring places in the UK.  Life appears to be that bit tougher and the population seem to be sporadically distributed, often with huge distances between neighbouring connurbations.  It is as though humans merely have a tenuous foothold, one that blends quite seemlessly into this vast and wild landscape. 

If the UK has a wilderness at all this must surely be it.  The beaches of Sutherland are beautiful beyond belief and of course virtually empty, the plunging cliffs and dagger like sea stacks of Caithness are simply magnificent, and all the time, the overwhelming sense of peace, endless space and  huge sky captivate you completely.

This course itself will be split between two locations, three days in Caithness and three days in Sutherland.  Although this is primarily a landscape course it has been timed to take advantage of two wonderful seasonal events, the first, the flowering pink thrift and machair (a blazing carpet of nodding flowers), that cascade over the tops of the masssive 500 foot cliffs, and secondly the return to the mainland of the comical puffins, that will be earnestly searching out burrows on the cliff tops.  Puffins and indeed most of the resident birdlife have very little reason or cause to fear man, so it is possible to photograph them at surprisingly close quarter, without causing undue distress to them.

Warning:     Be under no illusion, this course will test your resolve and your dedication to the cause of landscape photography.  At this lattitude the workshop demands very early starts and correspondingly late finishes.  To make the best use of available light, your body clock will need to adjust itself to a midday siesta of four to five hours, when light is least conducive to good landscape photography.  Without the midday rest period, the 18 hour days will quickly take their toll. Heh! even I need to sleep!!  For the record sunrise is as early as 4.20am and sunset  is about 10.15pm and it is best to be in position both before sunrise and after sunset.

During the course you will be staying for two nights, half board, single occupancy of twin/double rooms at the extremely well run and meticulously clean and welcoming Nethercliffe hotel in Wick and thereafter, a further three nights at the very pleasant and friendly family owned Ben Loyal hotel near the Kyle of Tongue, a location with sensational views right on your doorstep.  Needless to say you would be staying here on the same half board single occupancy of twin/double room basis.  I am confident everyone will love these very special areas of Britain and return with some of the purest and most unblemished British landscapes they have ever captured.  The numbers have been limited to a maximum of five folk to ensure minimal impact and a higher percentage of personal tuition and freedom of space in the vehicle.  

Grade: Easy/Moderate Mostly short duration walks but occasional descents down moderately steep paths to the beaches.  (NO MIDGES)

A £125.00 Deposit is required to reserve a place on this course.

31 May - 05 June 2012 (3 + 3 day) £125.00