At first I was disappointed with this photograph due to the extremely bright white of the houses. This is what you get with the sun setting on the edge of this very picturesque loch in the highlands of Scotland. A minute later there was a huge rainbow off to the right and I ran down onto the shore line to capture that amazing evening light.

Searching the website, this is the first photo of the Eilean Donan Castle that I have published. This is one of the most iconic images of Scotland and is situated on an island at the point where three great sea lochs meet, and surrounded by some majestic scenery. As some of my photographer friends might say it is very “chocolate boxy”. The castle is now one of the most visited and important attractions in the Scottish highlands.

Shieldaig is a small village in Wester Ross in the Northwest Highlands of Scotland and home to around 100 people. Last summer we were driving through the area and parked by the loch side for a break. Sitting on a bench looking over the water I noticed this old cannon. According to Wikipedia this village was founded in 1800 with a view to training up seamen for war against Napoleon, so this cannon probably represents this history.

Welcome to the Potting Shed Cafe & Restaurant, in the Walled Garden of Applecross House. This is probably one of the best kept culinary secrets in the British Isles, found in the highlands of Scotland. It was started as a project to restore the near derelict walled garden and create some local employment in 2001 and was voted one of the top ten restaurants by the Independent newspaper. I ate there back in June 2008 and it was fantastic, the food is all local, vegetables and fruit straight from the garden, shellfish from their own boat and venison and lamb from the local hill!