You get a fantastic view from up there out over all the isles of the Inner Hebrides, the nearest of which are the Slate Islands.

From down here at harbour level you can often see sheep grazing right on the highest edge of the vertical cliffs. This is part of the conservation village called Ellenabeich, with a towering lump behind it that as far as I am aware has no name (But it might be Dun Mhor.gaelic for Brown Cow). Well, I'm not retiring here and joining many others but I still enjoy my visits. I marked it as somewhere I might like to retire, and ever since I returned regularly to check it out. On my first visit it struck me as idyllic, the little corner of Argyll with its own sunny micro climate, lovely 'highland' landscape dotted with little white cottages. I just couldn't fathom why it was happening, even if I turned the filter through 90 degrees.the same band about two thirds down the frame from side to side across everything.ДЇrustrated, I went out later when the moon was up and just did a standard long exposure, no filters, but this didn't give the desired effect of showing the colour and texture of the wood and the rust in the pier, or allow it to stand out against the background.ДЄnyhow, it is one more feature in this photographically rich small part of ScotlandДЄ long time ago I first discovered Seil island, south of Oban. This also formed across the structure of the pier so was not the water. But when I tried such shots in early evening with a 'heavy' 10 stop ND filter (the only filter I have) I found I got a mysterious block of pale mauve lightening the frame from side to side about two thirds down. I had previously seen photos of such scenes with lovely milky white smooth sea and wanted to try the same.

In 1820 Ellenabeich was a port of call for S.S.Comet, the world's first commercial steam ship passenger steamers continued to call well into the 20th century. The remains of the old wooden steamer pier can be seen by the flooded slate quarry. It lies in the narrow channel between Seil and Easdale island which is in the background. Staying in the Old Brewery Cottage in Ellenabeich on Seil Island we were just 150 yards from the remains of the old steamer jetty.