Passing Place

[Donald]

Continuing on from here and here with my story of the areas of Ullapool, Coigach and Assynt in the north-west Highlands of Scotland - Single track roads are still a feature of transportation up in this part of the world.

A lot of folk driving on one for the first time, after perhaps being used to 6-lane motorways/highways, can very often take fright and not be sure what to do. The secret is to time acceleration and braking so that you reach the passing place at the same time as the vehicle coming towards you! Although, if the other vehicle is a 40-tonne articulated truck, with a driver who's hell-bent on getting home as quickly as possible, it's probably a good idea to pull in early.

I wanted to try and show the stark and bleak character of the landscape that, for some of us, make it so majestic.

Comments, as always, are welcome. Do you think it's expressive of what I was trying to do in telling a story about this part of the world?


Canon 40D, Tokina 11-16 f2.8 @ 11 mm. ISO100. 1.5s @f11

[Mike Buckley]

It works perfectly for me. I especially like that the sign is leaning, as it's typical of the sort of neglect that occurs in isolated areas.

Notice the dark bush on the right side of the road just before the road disappears from view. That bush is a distraction for me. It's so small that it lacks detail yet is so dark that it stands out almost as if it's a dust bunny on your sensor.

[Sergio M.]

Donald, I like it. The road leading into the distance; the vastness on either side. For me it depicts a wildness and a sense of freedom. Very nicely done.

Serge

[Daisy Mae]

In the interests of accuracy for our non scottish friends I have to add that this is a very tidy example of a passing place and that normally they are placed on the edge of a deep muddy ditch full of sheep into which your back wheel promptly disappears..or...there's a ( non Scot's) photographer parked in the space using it as a viewpoint and assembling his /her tripods and arsenal of equipment.

it is, above all, a very important part of the Highlands and beautifully captured.

[Donald]

Notice the dark bush on the right side of the road just before the road disappears from view. That bush is a distraction for me. It's so small that it lacks detail yet is so dark that it stands out almost as if it's a dust bunny on your sensor.

I take the point ... and agree. I'll take it out of the final version.

...or...there's a ( non Scot's) photographer parked in the space using it as a viewpoint and assembling his /her tripods and arsenal of equipment.

I wish to assure all the citizens of Coigach that I did behave responsibly and parked off the road, up a little track that ran across the moor. In the 2 hours 30 minutes in was at that location, 2 cars passed by (I was there at 6:15am).

But the point is well made. Some visitors think these passing places and there for them to stop in and have their picnic, set up the table and chairs and enjoy the scenery, remaining oblivious to the problems they are causing ....... until a nice big Scottish crofter gives them a highland welcome with some choice phrases in his native Gaelic language!