Having decided to stay overnight in Fort William, it meant I could return to one of my favourite locations at Corpach and the shipwrecked boat.
If you’ve read the previous blog, you’ll know I was weighing up whether or not to get up pre 5am for a sunrise shoot here.
Well I did it! In the end, no matter the reasons for not doing it, I figured that:
- You only live once
- I can sleep later
- If I didn’t do it, I would certainly regret it.
In addition, the fly-by visits previously had some shots in the bag but nothing that could rival the natural golden hour light of a sunrise.
About the shipwrecked boat
The shipwreck at Corpach is known as the ‘Old Boat of Caol’ or the ‘Corpach Wreck’.
This boat was built in 1975 and originally a fishing vessel called MV Dayspring which trawled the North Sea for mackerel and herring, and later (before it lost it’s moorings) was used as a houseboat.
The boat appeared on the shoreline of Corpach after a storm in December 2011. It had been moored at Kinlochleven Pier and broke free from its moorings during the storm and with the help of the coastguard was settled on the beach between Corpach and Caol.
The boat is a big draw for general visitors, casual, amateur and pro photographers alike, with many compositions possible. Not only is there the scene of the boat and Loch Linnhe, but the dramatic Ben Nevis mountain in the background.
Why this location is special to me
When we visited Scotland back in 2019, this location was on my wish list thanks to the amazing Fotovue Scotland guide book.
On that visit, we called by this location late in the day, and were treated to some amazing golden hour backlit conditions – see below.
I had just borrowed a significant chunk of money at the time and bought my camera. In my haste and gadget lust mode, I’d sold my other gear including my wide-angle lens hoping the new one would be out before our trip.
The new wide-angle lens wasn’t available when I expected it to be, so I ended up renting the very lens I’d just sold for the two weeks we were in Scotland! You plonker Rodney… Yes.
During that visit, I met another photographer (David) as he had set up his tripod in the same spot I had, and we chatted as we took our shots. It was so relaxing in the warm glow of that evening sun geeking out chatting about photography.
Although David was a bit coy, he said enough to tell me he used to be a sports official of some standing, having officiated big sporting events.
This is one of those few occasions where you meet someone, and chat as if you’ve known them for a lot longer.
We swapped Instagram names and subsequently followed each other’s photographic work online. This year, I notice that David has disappeared from IG so I hope he’s OK.
The shot above is one of my all time favourites and remains the wallpaper on my phone. It’s also a shot that a colleague asked me to print and frame for him.
The memories of that visit, the warm golden hour light, the amazing photo I got, the relaxing nature of being there, and meeting David all contributed to a lasting memory.
The 2022 experience of Corpach
I had every intention of revisiting Corpach but I thought it would be a single visit, not the three separate visits as it turned out to be.
Visit 1 of 3 (midday or thereafter) on Sat 23rd April 2022
Towards the end of our first week of three weeks of our Scotland trip, we were passing through Fort William to catch the ferry to Skye for an onward journey to get the ferry to Harris and Lewis.
We did a drive by stop at Corpach but the midday sunlight was so bright, it didn’t yield anything particularly spectacular. However, I did get a composition I like, with the transparent water, and the boat and mountains in the distance.
On revisiting the images for a second time, and giving the images a bit more attention in editing, I think the shots are passable.
It’s reminded that my camera and many in modern age have amazing dynamic range where you pull more detail out, or adjust the image much more than you think you can.
Visit 2 of 3 (evening, approx 19:30) on Fri 6th May 2022
In my previous blog post, I’ve written about the second visit to Corpach in the evening.
The conditions were more favourable and I was pleased with the following shot.
Visit 3 of 3 (sunrise) on Sat 7th May 2022
I got up a little later than I should’ve done just before 05:00 and on the drive to the location, I realised that there was just a glimmer of sunlight.
This wasn’t going to be an epic sunrise on this day, and even the small glimmer of sunrise light soon disappeared behind the clouds. However, the light was still pleasing and the stillness and overall conditions were the best so far.
On arriving, I made my way to the beach with absolutely no sign of anyone else, and it being eeringly silent.
There was some pleasing low cloud swirling around Ben Nevis, and I set up my tripod and started taking some shots.
It seemed apt to begin the morning by shooting the same or similar composition to that done previously. In my mind, I wasn’t going to beat the 2019 photo but I wanted to shoot the same scene again just to compare. I was also determined to try some different compositions.
As the morning progressed, I was getting into the flow of looking for different compositions and was really enjoying the peacefulness of this location. It was just me and the various birds flying across the Loch, mostly oystercatchers.
Given that the conditions were the best of the three visits, I took great care to fine tune my focus and settings to double ensure the best quality shots I could.
On this visit, I decided I really ought to do a close up of the boat.
I really wanted some different scenes this time, so I took this next shot looking back at the boat, and I really think this is a fantastic shot due to the different elements. The boat, the reflections in the Loch and the cloud detail.
There were some amazing reflections of Ben Nevis and the adjacent mountains in the Loch, which I was excited to capture.
Quite often, I would pause, take in a deep breathe and just appreciate the views around me, the peace and quiet, and how grateful I am to be able to enjoy this experience. I didn’t want to leave, but the time was getting on.
By this time, there was the odd person walking their dog or jogging but I still I had the beach to myself. Kathryn sent me a message at around 07:45 asking if I was OK.
Yes, I replied, I was loving it, but her message made me realise that I’d been here much longer than I realised, and it would soon be time to pack up, head back to the hotel for a few minutes shuteye and our breakfast.
As I packed up my gear, I was sad to say goodbye to Corpach and the boat. I had now visited this place four times in four years but I will take any future opportunity to come back again and again.
Were any of my 2022 Corpach shots better than the 2019 favourite? Probably not in terms of natural light but definitely in terms of composition and maybe image definition and editing.
The morning wasn’t over yet
On the drive back, the roads were quite quiet and the road out of Fort William town to the hotel takes you alongside the Loch.
I spotted a completely still Loch with some great reflections of the boats and hills.
There’s nowhere to park on this road so to grab this opportunity of a couple of quick shots, I did a quick turnaround, went back and parked just inside a junction on a side road.
I ran across the road, quickly bagged a couple of shots then jumped back into the car. It felt like a slow motion bank robbery getaway!
I have to recommend the hotel Macduff as the Internet was amazing, the best I’ve experienced in a hotel.
On returning to the hotel, I knew I had some keepers, and where I could’ve probably got some sleep, my excitement was such that I had to start uploading my images to ensure a backup and know that these images were safe.
The owner pointed out the radio dish on the building opposite and said guests should get the same fast speed uploading as well as downloading.
My images were all uploaded before we finished breakfast.
When we stay somewhere with breakfast, I always claim I’ll have the more healthy continental breakfast, but every time I crack and have the cooked breakfast. OK, it’s one of a few things that’ll get me eventually, but it’s a pleasure to have a good breakfast, and brings more enjoyment not to mention value than a croissant and some cereal (boring)!
We checked out, and began our departure journey with a stopover target of the Yorkshire Dales to break up the journey home. Kathryn kindly offered to drive so I could have a nap if I needed it.
Would I get any more photos out of Scotland or was this my lot?
Onwards and upwards…