ICM
The day promised continuous rain, plus thunder and lightning. Nevertheless, seven of us assembled under the watchful eye of Andy Leonard at The Glen Esk Café on the Burn Estate near Edzell. It was still dry, but with the promise of rain, we determined that we should visit the Rocks of Solitude first, hoping that gentle rain in the woods would generate some atmosphere. The North Glen Esk was in a good condition after all the rain of previous days and weeks, and the clear water revealed the peaty bottom of the river. We walked from the Rocks towards the Blue Door, and everyone was busy conjuring up compositions containing rushing water, stately flowing water with streams of bubbles, waterfalls and beautiful rock formations.
Clear water
As we passed over the Highland Boundary fault, Andy gave us insights into the different rocks we saw – quite diverse colours and shapes. Meanwhile, the tree canopy above us was etched with beautiful greens – freshly minted leaves in massive array. After a couple of hours, we retreated to the café for a light lunch (great cakes and coffee) and consulted the oracles to find out where the rain was. Most of us were wet through, but that was from perspiration as we had dressed appropriately for a chilly, damp day.
Rocks and Water
As lunch finished, the sky was a sight of some impressively dark clouds above, and the radar informed us of the imminence of light rain, if not a downpour. We headed into Edzell Woods and scanned the trees for select compositions that summarized the beauty of the early spring. Death greeted us – expect to see a few compositions of a lamb’s skeleton picked clean over the winter and some wonderfully dead trees. Surrounded by death and decay, we exploited the green leaves to our heart's content. What was more interesting was the postures of the photographers as they sought to get an interesting angle or the shapes of the lichen-clad branches. Almost all the photographers took their position on the centre line of the Lang Stracht to get a view of the green arch over the road. Finally, with no rain in sight, we packed up and headed back to base. Never has a group of photographers been so disappointed not to get wet!!!
It was an excellent day out. Many thanks to Andy Leonard for organizing us.
Mossy wood
All images © Ian Booth