Historic St Andrews, Fife

I made a brief visit to the home of golf this weekend to take in some glorious summer weather by the sea. St Andrews is always a favourite location of mine, reminding me of holidays spent there as a child. It looks just as good in the sun as it does in stormy weather, but I'm glad the blue skies stayed for this visit. Images have been added to the St Andrews photo collection here.

The May Isle

Each year I try my best to make a visit to the Isle of May on the east coast of Scotland, although I don't always succeed. May - July is by far the best time of year to make the trip, when thousands of birds build their nests to breed on the island, which lies just off the coast of Anstruther, Fife. I'm very glad to have made the trip this year (having failed on numerous occasions last year, long story!) as there was an excellent variety of birds and other wildlife on show, all helped by the stunning weather. The Fulmar above was sitting on a cliff ledge about five metres below me when I took this shot. The birds aren't totally oblivious to the human visitors, but with a slow approach they are fairly happy to pose for a few photographs.



These three Guillemots were obviously having a heated discussion about the current state of fish stocks in the surrounding waters when I snapped this photo. North Berwick Law, which is about 13 miles from the island, can be seen in the background.



Love was certainly in the air on the May Isle and it was really interesting to watch the pairs of birds interacting with one another. They bob their heads, dance on the spot or touch beaks, clearly showing their intimate and strong bond with one another. These birds usually mate for life, somehow recognising each other from the thousands of other, seemingly identical individuals.



Puffins are always a firm favourite with visitors to the island and are happy to sit in groups or pairs only metres away from snapping photographers and excited children. Even though the birds are relatively close you still need a decent telephoto lens to get these type of shots. All of the photographs here were shot using a Sigma 70-200mm 2.8 lens with a 2x Teleconverter at full zoom, yet it would still be nice to get even closer! I'll have to make another trip back soon.



Shooting most of these birds in direct sunlight is a tricky business as their plumage ranges from deep blacks to pure white, stretching any camera's tonal range to the limit. Although the head could do with a little more sun I like this shot of a Razorbill above due to the colourful turquoise and green water in the background. For more information on the Isle of May visit: www.isleofmayferry.com

A sucker for sunsets

You could photograph them a million times and still be seeking the perfect sunset shot. It's a phenomenon that happens each and every day and yet the rising and setting of the sun still manages to capture our imagination, awe and inspire us. The vibrant colours, the shapes, shadows and perhaps the fact that we know darkness is just around the corner, make sunsets irresistible. Just make sure you don't look at the sun for too long!

The city of Amsterdam, The Netherlands

What can I say after a long weekend of sunshine, windmills, tulips, long walks along canal banks and boat rides through the heart of the Netherlands' largest city? Well if I'm to be completely honest I'd tell you that yes there were all of the above idyllic scenes, but they only made up part of the story. Meeting a few friends in the city soon made the relatively simple task of taking photographs near impossible. The city centre is jam packed with bars, restaurants, cafes and shops that seem to swallow up tourists for days on end. This tourist was no exception as I struggled to prise myself from the party atmosphere and get some serious work done. Fortunately I managed this on at least a few occassions, meaning I did manage to get some photography from the weekend!



Yellow and orange flags blow in the wind against a bright blue sky. Orange is Holland's colour just as much as Ireland's is green. This week Queen's day sees thousands of Dutch take to the streets in orange attire for some serious celebrations. I for one have done enough celebrating for one weekend so will leave them to it!



Tulips really are everywhere in Holland, which is just as well. Unable to witness the stunning tulip fields of the dutch countryside, I had to compromise. Amsterdam's parks and gardens? No, Schipol airport in fact!



This picture more or less sums up Amsterdam for me. Narrow city streets lining the canal, trees and lampposts side by side, the slender, geometric architecture of the buildings with their hidden bars and large windows, and of course the bikes, which are simply everywhere! One thing that really struck me on this trip was just how relaxed and easy going a city of over one million people could be. Maybe it's something in the water.

Scheveningen, The Netherlands

I did make it out of Amsterdam for at least one night and travelled the short journey by train to Den Haag (The Hague), then hopped on a tram to Scheveningen which is a small coastal town which somehow reminded me of Scarborough! We stayed at the town's only hostel, Jorplace (Yourplace), which is easily one of the best hostels I've stayed at in a long while. The onsite bar, chilled out atmosphere (they have a hammock, conservatory and camper van in the garden!) and the down to earth staff made our stay very enjoyable. Thanks to Jordy and Sarah.



After a day spent checking out the town, strolling along the beach and feasting in the beachside restaurants and bars we were treated to one of the most beautiful sunsets I've seen in a long time. The sun, the surf, the sand and the sound of seagulls - I'd never have thought I was in Holland and felt a million miles away from the city streets of Amsterdam. Sometimes you've just got to make the effort to travel out of the city and take in something a little different. Scheveningen is one of those places.

Living on the edge, The Cobbler, Scotland

You really can't beat the feeling of being genuinely tired after a good day out hiking in the mountains. Today I hiked to the summit of the Cobbler, also known as Ben Arthur with a few friends. The walk is pretty straight forward from Arrochar up to the peak at 2946 ft, just shy of being a Munro. What makes this such a stunning walk however, is the craggy cliffs and peaks at the top which give the mountain an ominous look.



A brave hillwalker stands at the edge of a sheer drop near the summit of The Cobbler as clouds obscure the summit. If anyone reading this has not attempted this walk I would certainly recommend it, the views from the top are simply stunning. For the more adventurous, the summit also features several good rock climbing opportunities.