Gone fishing - Isle of Arran. Scotland year of food & drink.

It’s the year of Scotland food & drink & I've had the privilege of photographing some fantastic food products on the Isle of Arran, from exquisite restaurant plates, succulent cuts of meat and some fine fish.  But I also got the chance to see where some of the local produce comes from, specifically seafood, courtesy of Creelers of Arran.  The quality of the product reflects the state of our coast, for which some credit has to go to COAST & Howard Wood who has just won the Goldman Environmental Prize for Europe.

The 'Julie-Anne' Owned by Tim James of Creelers

It has to be said that the stunning blue skies and flat calm seas are not the conditions the fishermen are used to but I put in a special request so that my camera wouldn't get ‘sprayed’ on as conditions would be difficult enough – have you seen the size of these small creel boats – and no sign of a bar for my 6 o'clock g & t!

Heading out to the 'pots' looking back towards Holy Isle.

But maybe I should start with what a ‘Creel’ is?  Often referred to as ‘pots’, these are a passive form of fishing (i.e. you don’t have to be there when the fish are caught).  And it’s a big industry in Scotland, according to the Scottish Creel Fishermen’s Federation it supports more jobs around the coast of Scotland than any other type of fishery. 

Checking the pots for the catch

So back to the Creel.  Traditionally it’s a wicker basket, but nowadays made of net, which is baited and left on the seabed with the hope that a lobster, crab or prawn will enter for food and get trapped until the creel is retrieved.  This type of fishing is sustainable and selective.

Brown crab clings to the inside of the pot

Only the target catch is retained, the by-catch (those just in the pots for a free lunch and unwanted) are returned to the sea unharmed. It also means that smaller, young or ‘berried’ (the term for the eggs) female lobsters can be returned. 

These urchins were returned to the sea after their moment in front of the camera

At this early time of the year, all the lobster are too small / young or berried, but there was still plenty of viable ‘catch’, with crabs, langoustine and squab lobster (resembles a bug more than a lobster!).

Small lobster gently returned to the sea unharmed.

Largely the 'by catch' seemed to be small crabs, which were shaken over the side, sometimes to awaiting gulls, which collected around the boat.

Small crabs are trapped within the pot when taking advantage of a free lunch

The catch is separated on the boat with the large crabs going into a bucket and the langoustine into special segmented trays. 

Brown crabs 

Depending on the target catch, creels are baited with fresh fish or salted fish.  Fresh for the crabs and lobster, salted for the prawns. 

Bait is placed into a cage within the pot.

The buoys mark where the pots are and there can be many pots on one line.  How the fishermen know which belong to them, I guess comes with experience, as several lines were out within very close distances.

Looking back towards Brodick before the pots are dropped.

Each pot is brought up, empties, re baited and then put onto the back of the boat until the line is finished, and then they are all returned to either the same place, or moved to a better fishing ground. 

Moving to the next fishing ground in the evening sun.

The evening chilled and we moved across the bay to the prawn pots.  The first thing that struck me was the vibrant colour of the langoustine as the were brought up. These chappies were destined for the dinner plate in Creelers Restaurant. 

Gently emptying the prawn pots. 

Each langoustine (prawn) was placed into it's own section of tray to keep them in pristine condition and as with the previous pots, all by catch was returned to the sea.  

Prawn escapes from its holding cell!

All pots empties and baited, they were flung back at high speed (no wonder fishing is dangerous), along the seabed.

Creel leaves the boat in a greater hurry than it got in.

The evening done, I took advantage of the sun setting with the seagulls scavenging for discarded bait to take some scenic shots.

Seagulls gather for the discarded bait.

 A big thanks to Creelers of Arran, and other food producers on the island for providing us with such fantastic food, not just for Scotland's year of food and drink, but every year. 

Other links that may be of interest:-
Creelers of Arran
Visit Scotland - Food & drink 
Taste of Arran
Visit Arran - Food & Drink

Sunshine to snow in a day (Days 326 - 336)

Day 326 Pebbles on the beach

The first of December and I can now start thinking about Christmas.  All the usual lists to make for food, presents and Christmas cards.  Only really noticed how much stamps had gone up when I bought 2 books of 2nd and a book of 1st class and proffered a £20 note, to be told it wasn't enough!

Day 327 - Paws for thought

Today I followed the fresh footprints of an otter along the beach. Easy to spot as the prints have 5 toes and are bunched in these groups of 4 paws.  Despite looking hard, I never saw it today.

Day 328 - Nosey dog

Trying to sort out my kit after another wet day and the dog had other ideas.  He wanted his tea.  So I snapped his nose!

Day 329 - Eat responsibly 

We often hear about drinking responsibly, but what about eating responsibly.  Today I listened to the news as it talked about the NHS crisis and obesity.  Ironically I was cooking a roast chicken and noticed the packaging stated it 'serves 2'.  This small chicken weighted 1.25kg and fed me for 4 meals (+ soup from the carcass).  Why do supermarkets feel the need for this type of labelling, and if they do it why such large portions?

Day 330 - Hardy sailors

In between hail showers the winter sun was bright but I was still surprised to see a couple of hardy young men out on their small sailing boat.  Working hard with the spinnaker they tacked across the bay and provided my students with lots of photo opportunities.

Day 331 - Young swan

The swans around Lamlash and Whiting Bay are easy targets for my camera and this cygnet seemed to enjoy my attention coming right up to the camera for some close up shots (will be posted on facebook at some time).

Day 332 - Wagtail

Another foul weather day with heavy hail showers and it never really got light.  I was helping to do a wetland bird survey so couldn't avoid being out in the rain today but snapped this little male wagtail who has decided to stay put for winter.

Day 333 - Snow

Although I know there has been snow on Goatfell for a couple of days the tops have not been visible due to low cloud and this was my first opportunity of the year to snap the winter scene.

Day 334 - Student dashing for cover

The sea chucked debris up, the rain lashed down and the wind howled but my students this week have been nothing but stoic in their endeavours to take photographs.  I think most have been pleasantly surprised at what can be achieved in the worst or worst conditions.

Day 335 - Road block

Even the swans gave up today and took to the high ground at Whiting Bay as Scotland was 'weather bombed'.  The storms were ferocious and we suffered power cuts but surprisingly little damage.  And of course no ferries for a couple of days.

Day 336 - Sand blasting

Still windy today and I got caught out (again) by one of the nasty hail squalls.  I resist calling them hail stones and it felt more like hail bricks and the sand was lifted to add to the misery of having my skin frozen and sand blasted all at the same time.  Pebbles balanced on little towers of sand and it was blown away around them.  So really the week has been all about the weather but then it is winter so we really can't complain.

Run, run, run. (Days 263 - 273)

Day 263 - Autumn Seaweed

Monday dawns, my diary if full to busting and my brain if fixed firmly on the weekend ahead an my first Cani-cross event, so I will be running in more ways than one this week.  The evening brought my usual evening class students and we went to one of my favourite local spots - the Lamlash boatyard and photographed as the dusk turned the sky pink.  The seaweed, exposed by the tide shimmered in autumn colours which are not apparent in monochrome.

Day 264 - In the spotlight

This 'bug' appeared on Tuesday evening, late, but with perfect timing as I realised I hadn't done the requisite photo of the day.  It seem unperturbed by my spotlight, however this proved tricky as I tried to manage the camera and light whilst focusing.

Day 265 - Catching the light

 Another frantic day as I run from meeting to meeting with various clients and fit the dog walks into the schedule.  I felt frustrated as the afternoon sun glinted off the trees and I wanted to spend ages taking pictures - but it is not to be this week!

Day 266 - Surfing the breeze

It was very gusty today and the sea crested and seagulls appeared to surf the wind for pure pleasure. Again time was tight just as the light was perfect - and I have yet to pack all the stuff for the weekend.

Day 267 - Mainland bales

I was mainland bound today and unsurprising the weather is turning with a wet forecast for the next 2 days.  But I am on the mainland so different opportunities arise and I get to shop, not that I like shopping but the chance to visit several outdoor shops in Perth was not to be missed.

Day 268 - Cani-cross on a scooter

Race day!  The race times really mean that I won't have much chance to take photo's but that was not what I was here for.  The weather was tipping down, making the course very slippy and muddy.  The 'wheeled' classed raced first, with bikes and scooters, single and two dog teams.  And OMG the speed the set off.  The dogs were so excited.  My nerves grew.  But before long my turn came for the novice race and Watson seemed to take it in his stride.

Day 269 - Second race day

Today I get to do it all again but further this time and I'm not quite so nervous.  A bonus was the rain abated somewhat today, but the course was still muddy.  We completed the course in a good time (for us) very slow compared to everyone else.  But I was really pleased with how it went and how Watson took to it.  I did carry a compact camera around but found it impossible to take a clear image during the race and gave up after a couple of tries and concentrated on keeping upright.

Day 269 - From my compact

Today is a rest day, if I ignore all the wet muddy kit that needs sorting out.  Decided to bundle it into a bin bag and put it in the car till we get home.  A quiet day with a gentle stroll along a lovely woodland path somewhere near Caputh.  Watson still has lots of energy and wanted to play with his ball.

Day 270 - Ugly concrete bridge on what was a beautiful woodland path.

As much as I like going away for a few day, there is something special about coming home.  And the sunlight broke through the clouds as we neared Brodick.  Worth the blast of chilly wind to get the shot.

Day 271 - Sunburst through the clouds

Back to routine and playing catch up for taking a few days off.  But today on our regular Dyemill dog walk we found a nest, likely to be from a Coal tit, on the forest floor that had fallen from the trees. An egg, well past its hatch by date, sat inside and the moss and feathers remained intact.

Day 272 - Abandoned nest

Rain was forecast all afternoon and yet it turned into one of those beautiful chilly sunny autumn days. The photo workshop today concentrated on autumn colours which are vibrant yellows and rich oranges, it will be another couple of weeks before we see the deep reds. No one was rushing so we took advantage of the fabulous conditions as stayed out an extra hour or so.

Day 273 - Little spider clings to the underside of a yellow leaf.

This is my favourite time of year for colour and light and I really hope to make the most of it over the next couple of weeks.

A hard week (Days 253 - 262)

Day 253 - Fungi gills

I'm actually surprised at the images I'm putting up for this 10 day section as I have felt really rushed and a bit 'snappy' (in a photographic way).  It's the first time I have felt like giving up the challenge. But then it is coming into Autumn, my favorite time of year for images - and when all else fails there are plenty of mushrooms around.

Day 254 - Holy webs

I couldn't resist this cobweb that was dusted with willow herb seeds and had a hole punched through the middle.  The spider had long gone! The seeds from the willow herb were so plentiful it looked like it had been snowing.

Day 255 - Splash down

 I had forgotten how messy water splash photography can be.  Thankfully the weather was nice this evening so the students were able to carry out this exercise outside.  Waterproof electrics and splash guards on lights are essential.

Day 256 - Wreck at Lochranza

I  have no idea what the story is behind this wreck at Lochranza but I would guess a storm blew it up the shore and the resulting damage made it unworthy of repair (or removal).  It's a shame as it looked like it was a grand boat in its time.

Day 257 - Laid back blonde.

People often holiday with their dogs and I always try to accommodate students who want to bring along their four legged pal.  This lovely lady proved to be very calm and pottered around our tripods and slept at our feet while we did our stuff.

Day 258 - Misty morn

Not quite light, very grey, and the cloud hung about 50 feet off the floor when I took this shot.  But it proved to be the only one of the day that I did for myself and hence it became the days subject.  Not overly inspiring but as I would say to my regular course students - it's straight!

Day 259 - Food shoot

Today I did a food shoot.  These are always a challenge, lighting, table settings and a multitude of other things that have to be considered to get the shot right.  But today's bonus was a  dessert based on icecream - it just had to be eaten as I went through the photographic process.

Day 260 - The jug

Two mushrooms in one blog - not ideal but I imagined this could be an inspiration for a jug design. The mushroom had 'bowled' and created a pouring lip.  The gills added pattern and the dark line around the edge definition.  I should also say this was about 8 inches across, so a pint sized jug.

Day 261 - Laptop

Time to have a clear out and the old laptops need to go.  So the Arran Weebay site is being tested again.  I'd sold the first one within the hour.

Day 262 - Waston before he got too wet

An hour off and time to take the dogs out for a really good play.  One tennis ball, one large pool of water and a ball thrower = hours of fun and 2 wet exhausted dogs.  It will be peaceful this evening.

Weddings, wasps and wabbits! (Day 201 - 210)

Day 201 - Cold water

The hardest thing about this blog is deciding on a title each time and I did consider calling it 'hint of a tint' this time as the cold water of the River Iorsa, ended up with a hint of a blue tint. But the air temperature was significantly higher and the wasps seem to be having a good summer.

Day 202 - When grey doesn't work

Coastguard training night and all the ropes were laid out in front of the station as the team went through some mock drills for cliff rescue.  The midges were fearsome and added a sense of urgency and intense irritation to add to the tension.  It was also the night for letting off the bright orange smoke flares that were at the end of their expiry term, so the grey smoke is really bright orange and was enough to bring the RNLI boat charging across the bay in the hope of a rescue requirement.

Day 203 - Carrie

Carrie is one of the Estate dogs and has a formidable bark when anyone arrives at the door, but she's really quite a sweetie and has been coming out for walks with my two mad spaniels this week while her master is away. But don't be totally fooled, she has been known to raid my handbag for dog treats when I've not bee looking.

Day 204 - Secret wedding

Today I had the pleasure of photographing a lovely couple at their secret wedding.  They had decided to avoid all the pressures of a big wedding and sneak away to get wed.  After a shocking start to the day, the sun came out for a lovely afternoon before the heavens opened again after we'd finished the photographs.

Day 205 - Wasp windowsill

I'm trying really hard to be environmentally friendly and apparently wasps are good.  But its hard when I have a nest in the roof space and these are some of the 100 dead bodies under my window as they have become trapped in the bedroom and baked in the sunshine.  Is it me or are there a lot of wasps this year?

Day 206 - Rabbit pie

 When the dogs go ballistic looking out of the window I expect to see a pheasant partaking of the bird food but instead got a surprise as this rabbit hopped around without a care in the world.  Poor Bowser was apoplectic with excitement.

Day 207 - Arran does Urban

Evening class night and another challenge for my students.  This time it was 'Arran does Urban' and we looked at buildings, plant and other industrial structures around Brodick - while I took in a view across the bay.

Day 208 - Ratty

 Apoplectic dog take two!  This time it was ratty come to feed alongside the birds.  But I have to say I'm not quite so tolerant of this rodent and the dogs were allowed to chase it away.

Day 209 - Marvin with one of his sculptures 'in progress'

 Marvin Elliott is a regular at the Arran Farmers Show demonstrating his skills at carving. I did go on one of his great 2 day courses, which was held at Brodick Castle last year and I know is a regular feature of the Rangers annual programme.

Day 210 - Landrover Safari

And today was another of the Arran Rangers service events, a photography land rover safari.  Yet again the weather stayed fine (actually quite sunny) and we managed to see an adder as well as the tremendous views up Glen Rosa.