What a morning! 6am hitting the road. Sunrise due at 0817 on the last day of British summer time for 2018, or maybe ever depending on some!

It was dark and rather chilly as a good friend and photographer, Andrew Noble - https://www.andrewnoblephotography.co.uk - and I set off to capture the first light falling on Kilchurn Castle.

What would we get? Mist, fog, frost? The weather was showing it should be clear, however you never really know in Scotland. What was for sure was you had to wrap up warm! It was very chilly.

Me, Myself and I

As it was we were not the first to turn up, nor the last either. Kilchurn Castle, set on the banks of Loch Awe, is certainly a draw to locals and tourists alike as the lay-by was well filled by our arrival.

We headed across the stile, round the footpath and dropped down towards the bank, to be met by a dozen photographers already scouting the angles they wanted to capture when the sun rose.

It happened that amongst the small throng there were some Glasgow based and some French photographers, who were clearly on a tour. There was space for all and with a very occasional and polite, "Sorry, could you move right" everyone got their shots.

As for me, well the proof is in the pudding as they say and I was delighted and mesmerised. The colours changed by the minute and as the sun crept down the slopes towards Kilchurn castle, the Autumnal golds and oranges burst to life, moving from cool tones to vibrant vivid warmth.

Kilchurn Castle by Early Light Kilchurn Castle, Loch Awe

The pleasure of watching the landscape transform made the early start all the more worthwhile. The cold chill air was forgotten, well almost - the toes were a bit chilled after a couple of hours - but the recovery with a coffee and breakfast was amazing!

That recovery happened in Brambles in Inverary, a fine establishment and with a hearty breakfast and good coffee it recharged our batteries and prompted an idea. A short detour on the way home to somewhere I had photographed before, and Andrew hadn't come across.

Bowling Harbour sits on the River Clyde, on the north bank, and is the west coast starting point for the Forth and Clyde canal. Many years ago I capture Harbour Graveyard Harbour Graveyard .   Harbour Graveyard Decay - 11 years on

It was clear the ravages of time had continued to impact the wrecks littering the harbour.
 

As the snap to the left shows. With hulls looking increasingly like skeletons and the cabin collapsing off the centre wreck, it was sad to see the relics of yesteryear quite literally wasting away.
 

There was however still something in the beauty of this area and always something to capture from a visit.

Rising from the Depths Thanks Andrew for a fab day out and let's not leave it so long next time!