The Paps of Jura

The three Paps, from left to right, Beinn Chaolais, Beinn an Oir and Beinn Shiantaidh. From most of Islay, only two of them are properly visible, Beinn an Oir, the tallest of the three, being hidden behind Beinn Chaolais.
Malcolm

Beinn a' Chaolais with Walk Islay

We couldn't have asked for better weather. I was so excited about the prospect of finally getting up my second Pap - and this time it was cloud, precipitation and wind free - the exact opposite of my last experience. Yippee!! What a great day (except for my vertigo going up the scree). We saw Mountain Hare still in its white plumage, Short-eared Owl, Dung Beetle and Raven, and of course fantastic views. Thanks to Donald Ewen Darroch for taking us up there!
Becky

Mountain Hare (poor photo)

View north-east towards Beinn an Oir and Beinn Shiantaidh from summit of Beinn a' Chaolais

View south-east from summit of Beinn a' Chaolais

New Year's Day walk

The Paps of Jura seen over the trees in the Staoisha plantation near Bunnahabhain. And if you know how to pronounce Staoisha, give yourself a pat on the back.
Here's wishing our very many readers a very happy 2013. According to the stats, this blog has been visited 121,181 times by 63,889 different people, from an astonishing 165 countries!
And just as astonishing in its way is that this is the 1,999th entry since this blog was started in May 2010!

Scottish Salmon Photography Competition winner

A stunning picture of an amazing pink sunset over the Isle of Gigha has won the Scottish Salmon Company’s (SSC) annual photography completion.
The photo taken by production and sales planner Emma Byers, of Tayinloan, will now be used on promotional literature and on the company’s website which is seen by customers and buyers all around the world.
In the competition, which invited entries from SSC staff and their families, Camilla MacDonald, a biologist with the company won second prize for her picture of Loch Na Keel, Mull and Peter Cassels, an IT systems support analyst, came third with his photograph of Loch Fyne.
Rosanna Pile for The Scottish Salmon Company, which employs over 380 people up and down the West Coast of Scotland, commented:
“Every year we get some fantastic entries and this year the standard was especially high. We work in some stunning settings and the task is to produce a picture that connects them to the place where they live and work.
“This year’s winner, Emma Byers, took a shot of an amazing sunset and it was chosen because of the way it captures the reflecting light and the texture of the sea.”
 Emma, who works out of SSC’s base at Lochgilphead was thrilled. She said: “I don’t take a lot of photos and have never entered the competition before, so this was a very lucky shot. We were coming home by boat after a day with my brother-in-law and his children who live on Gigha and it was such a perfect sunset I’m glad I got the picture.”

Paps of Jura from Ballygrant Loch

More photos from Mark and Sally

 Thanks again to Mark and Sally Johnston for this selection of their recent holiday snaps from Islay.

Barnacle Goose

Paps of Jura from Bunnahabhain

Purple Sandpiper

Rock Pipit

Roe Deer

Slavonian Grebe - Loch Indaal

A calm winter's evening

The speed with which the weather changes on Islay is of course a very ancient cliché, but it still never fails to amaze this commuter between Port Charlotte and Bowmore.  This was the tranquil scene over Loch Indaal to the Paps from near Kilarrow House this evening...
Carl

More pictures from Ardnave

Paps of Jura

Ragged Robin

Ardnave Loch

Chough flock

Snow back on the Paps of Jura

Snow has returned to cap the Paps of Jura (and some of the higher ground on Islay too) over the past couple of days.

Jura - Cath Fotheringham

Thanks to Cath for sending us this collection of photos from her time on Jura

Paps of Jura in the snow this morning

Cycled down to Port Askaig this morning in the most perfect weather imaginable for December, past fields studded with sparkling geese.  Only small amounts of slush on the roads - the Council boys had done a good job.  This must be THE classic shot of the Paps of Jura at the moment - I wonded how many people have snapped this view recently?  There was a flock of probably around thirty Golden Plover in the shoreside fields opposite Bry Bruaich farm, along with a scattering of Lapwings.
Carl

Snow on the Paps from Blackrock

The weather on Islay has been glorious this past couple of days.  The temperature has hardly risen above freezing and the ice on the puddles has not melted - but we have had lots of lovely crisp sunshine.  There is no snow lying at sea level - we have only been troubled by the odd flurry so far - and yet we have some rather splendid views of the white stuff on the higher ground.  This is a shot from Blackrock up at the head of Loch Indaal showing the Paps of Jura in the distance.

Great weather forecast - Loch Indaal Lighthouse and the Paps of Jura

After two days of difficult weather it is great to have some sunshine and a decent weather forecast for the weekend.  Not to mention some food in the Co-op.  Its hard, living without bananas...
Carl