Stoer Lighthouse September11 ~12
Map & Schedule: Courtesy of Ed’s B&B
Source: Ed’s imagination at play
Lighthouse Days
We stayed at the Stoer Lighthouse Airbnb for three nights, which gave us a solid two and a half days of shooting, hiking, and trying not to fall over.
On our first full day, I went out five different times just taking pictures of the point, the lighthouse, the ocean, and the sheep. I was out there at sunrise, back out at sunset, and right in the thick of it when the rain started coming off the water completely sideways. Not down—pure horizontal.
Everywhere I looked was a photograph. The problem was, whenever I actually tried to sit down and rest, two things would happen: either the light changed and demanded a camera, or worse, Ed walked into the room.
Ed is an absolute machine. The man is a walking, talking, train-of-thought-disrupting force of nature, and he does everything at roughly three times my speed. On the hiking trail, this is where the comedy really happens. Ed is in ridiculous shape. He bounds ahead like a mountain goat, sure-footed and quick, while constantly circling back to check if his out-of-shape buddy is still breathing.
I, on the other hand, am slow, methodical, and very deliberate. My entire trail strategy comes down to two simple goals: don’t break anything, and don’t make poor Ed deal with an injured friend who needs to be rescued.
Take our walk out across the moors to see the Old Man of Stoer. Ed floated across the landscape without breaking a sweat. Meanwhile, I was over-analyzing every single step, which meant I inevitably found every deep, muddy hole on the hill. By the time I took my second step, the first foot was already soaked. And the annoying thing about Scotland is that bogs live on top of hills. Being higher up does not mean it's any drier.
Video, courtesy of Ed and his magic stick, I wouldn’t go, that close, so, I empowered my crew mate.
Because it was a loop trail, once you're halfway through and dead tired, you can’t just turn back. You have to finish the circle. By the end, my watch was showing just shy of 14,000 steps. I was totally wiped out, but extremely happy that mountain rescue didn’t have to get called out for me. In my book, that’s a wildly successful hike. And honestly, the scenery out there was spectacular.
I crawled back to the lighthouse in desperate need of a beer. Luckily, Ed—being the prepared genius he is—had brought along this ridiculously comfortable hammock chair in the boot of the car. I collapsed into it with my drink, thinking I was done for the day.
An hour later, the sun peeked out, casting completely new light and shadows across the cliffs. So, naturally, I had to drag myself right back outside. For me, photography is all about grabbing whatever Mother Nature throws at you. Sometimes she gives you hours of good light, sometimes she gives you about thirty seconds, and your only job is to be awake enough to catch it.
On a side note, we were pretty relieved when the French film crew staying downstairs packed up and took off the next morning. If they’d stayed any longer, we probably would’ve had to arm-wrestle them over breakfast cooking ability, not to mention fighting for tripod space out on the rocks.
Last night with fancy lighting
All told, over those few days I ended up with around 1,200 photos across two cameras and my phone. With the lighthouse behind us, we’ve got Cullen to look forward to next. For now, here’s a first look at a few shots from Stoer.
Ed’s Itinerary
Day 8 — Sept 12 Saturday
Our last full day at Stoer Lighthouse. 3rd day at Stoer Lighthouse.
Ed is enjoying a coffee himself, as Naguib has been out for hours taking early-morning pics.
9:45 am, we head off by car to The Old Jammery at Culkien, which opens at 10 am. It is an 11-minute drive from Stoer Lighthouse.
Discover a cozy café, handmade preserves, and unique crafts in one of the most beautiful corners of the Scottish Highlands. Located just a short walk from Culkein Bay, The Old Jammery is the perfect stop for fresh home baking, friendly faces, and a true taste of Highland croft life.
We can enjoy a coffee, unique shopping for Donna, and everyone is welcome to have the fresh home baking. Then we walk to Culkein Bay.
11 am Next, we drive to Clashnessie Falls and Beach Car Park. This is 9 minutes from The Old Jammery.
At 11:15 am, we head off to hike the Historic Clashnessie Falls waterfall path. Should be 20 minutes at most to Clashnessie Falls, of course, with stops along the way. There is a car park closer to the Falls, but it is very small and barely has room for 2 cars… so let’s enjoy the hike and take pics and a wee.
Clashnessie Falls is one of those spots that sneaks up on you and completely steals the show. With its pale sand and turquoise water, it’s hard to believe there’s a waterfall hiding just behind the village. A faint path heads inland, crossing burns and boggy ground, weaving between old fences and rocks. It’s not a polished tourist trail, expect wet feet (Naguib, we will travel with spare dry shoes…I also wear wool socks by Freda that keep you comfy even when wet, on uneven ground, and a bit of wandering, but that’s exactly what makes it memorable. After about ten or fifteen minutes, the glen narrows, and suddenly the waterfall appears at the head of the valley: a wide curtain of white water dropping over a dark rock ledge into a jumble of boulders. It’s not the tallest fall in Scotland, but in the right conditions it feels powerful and alive, especially after heavy rain when the whole face turns into a roaring sheet of water. There are no signs, no barriers, no “official viewpoint” just you, the wind, the bog and the sound of the water. On a calm day you can carefully pick your way closer for photos; when it’s wild, you just stand back and let the spray hit your face.
4 pm, we head off to Peet's Restaurant Lochinver, 30 minutes from Clashnessie Falls Parking. Peet’s is right in Lochinver Harbour, so there's an opportunity for pics before or after dinner.
5:30 pm dinner. Thank you for your reservation at Peet's
7:00 PM head back to Stoer Lighthouse. 45min drive home. But a lovely drive, so there will be stops for pics.
8:30 PM home in Stoer Apartment.