Scotland Photography And A Top Photographer: Allan Wright, Right On Our Doorstep

Allan Wright, who lives in Dumfries and Galloway in South West Scotland, is one of the top photographers in Scotland - and of Scotland.

Earlier this month my daughter did a week of "work experience" with Allan Wright at his publishing house Cauldron Press, set on the shores of Loch Ken in the Stewartry of Kirkcudbright, just north of the market town of Castle Douglas (also known as Food Town).

As it is quite some way from where we live and she was going to have to go by bus and get off "in the middle of nowhere", so to speak, we drove over on the Saturday before to do a dry run as it were, and had a pleasant chat with Allan in his garden before retuning via the Queen's Way through the Galloway Forest Park and past Clatteringshaws Loch.

Allan Wright has produced a large number of coffee table books, calendars and in particular you see his postcards all over Scotland (and especially in Dumfries and Galloway). He has also made a series of multimedia photo and music CDs of Scotland.

There are too many titles to link to here, but his latest book, which is about to be published, is "Scotland's West Coast", which you can order already in the UK here. At the time of writing it doesn't appear possible to advance order in the USA yet, but to get a taste of his work take a look at "Edinburgh" (USA) ("Edinburgh" UK here):

or "Arran" (UK only):

Allan is also responsible for the cover photo (of Gatehouse of Fleet) of what I consider perhaps the best book there is on Galloway, certainly the most readable, i.e. "Galloway: A Land Apart" (USA) by Andrew McCulloch. In the UK it's no longer that easy to come by, but you can try here if you're interested:

In any case, Allan Wright is a very talented photographer, we have had his postcards of Dumfries and Galloway on our walls for many years, and I am sure if you come to the region you soon will have too.

By the way, for general information on photography in Scotland, in particular if you are interested in taking photographs of nature in Scotland, take a look at the relevant page on my website: Scotland Secrets: Nature Photograph.

Wild goose chase begins around Dumfries and Galloway in South West Scotland

The phrase "wild goose chase" takes on a different meaning in Dumfries and Galloway this March 2008.

It's an event to draw attention to the thousands of Arctic geese - six different varieties - that spend the winter on the mild shores of the Solway in South West Scotland.

The centre of attention is Britain's largest Local Natural Reserve (LNR) at Wigtown, 25 miles east of Stranraer.

Other sites include Caerlaverock, close to the famous triangular castle, as well as Mersehead, Loch Ken and the Ken-Dee Marshes, Threave (with another of Dumfries and Galloway's historic fortresses, this one on an island in the River Dee) and Loch Ryan.

The six geese varieties you can see in the area are the Barnacle goose, Canada goose, Brent goose, Pink-footed goose, Greylag goose and the Greenland white-fronted goose.

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If you go to the Visitors' Room at the top of the proudly restored County Buildings in Wigtown, you can get a bird's eye view of the Wigtown Bay LNR (I get the same view out the front window!) or you can watch the geese up close from the Wigtown Harbour Hide for a closer look.

From Friday 14 to Sunday 16 March you can take part in a special events weekend.

If you come to the County Buildings at the crack of dawn (Saturday and Sunday at 5 a.m.) you can watch the dawn flight of geese as they leave their overnight roosting places in Wigtown Bay.

And at the Harbour Hide, binoculars and telescopes are being made available on these days, with knowledgeable volunteers on hand to help and answer questions.

There will be a series of goose related talks and films in the Wigtown County Buildings at 11 a.m. on Saturday 15 March and Sunday 16 March, and at 7 p.m. on Friday 14, Saturday 15 and Sunday 16 March.

Other related events around Dumfries and Galloway can be found here and here on Facebook any time.

For up to the minute details of all the free events you can also call (+44)(0)1988 402401 in Wigtown, or the Scottish Natural Heritage (SNH) office in nearby Newton Stewart on (+44)(0)1671 401075, where you can also order a free new 24 page booklet "Welcome to Wildlife in Dumfries and Galloway".

For more information on birdwatching in Scotland, including where to get a free guide to the wildlife of Scotland, also see the dedicated page at my website Scotland Secrets: Bird Watching Vacations.

BikerRoadTrip.com - New Website For Bikers Features Southwest Scotland And Northern Ireland

Here's a nice example of regions working together that aren't even on the same island!

Rather than write a comment, I'll just let you read the press release from VisitScotland:

Another First for Dumfries & Galloway!

A new website for motorcyclists travelling around Dumfries & Galloway and then over to Northern Ireland has been launched and it’s the first time two countries have joined forces to promote to Motorcyclists across the UK.

The website includes maps and listings for 70 accommodation providers, who welcome bikers, and many of which are bikers themselves.

The site has over 1,300 miles of suggested routes, designed by local bikers, around Dumfries & Galloway and over into Northern Ireland. More routes will be added to the site in the future.

Dave Smith, Buccleuch Hotel, Moffat said: “It's so good to see local businesses working together to realise the potential of the bikers market".

Karen Wilson from VisitScotland said:

“We hope that bikers from Ireland and the rest of the UK will use the site when planning trips to Dumfries & Galloway. Accommodation Businesses featured on the site are there because they have a genuine desire to attract bikers. A lot of the businesses have special offers available for bikers through the site, and some businesses are members of our Bikers Welcome Scheme.

“Many of the owners are bikers themselves and are happy to provide safe parking or suggestions for great routes to see the area at its best. The site also has live traffic and weather information as well as an up to date list of bike related events.

“Our roads have always been popular with bikers and the recent good weather has added to this. There will be a lot of bikers travelling through the region in the next few weeks for events like the North West 200. We hope that they will use this site to find accommodation that they know will cater for their needs, or to find a good run they haven’t done before!”

Local bikers are invited to give suggestions for more gorgeous routes in the west which can be added to this website.

The site was developed after research carried out last year identified motorcyclists as a good market for accommodation providers. Dumfries & Galloway LEADER+ linked up with other LEADER companies in Northern Ireland to work on the project. Funds for the Scottish side of the initiative were provided by VisitScotland Dumfries & Galloway and LEADER+ Dumfries & Galloway.

Visit the site at http://www.bikerroadtrip.com/ or contact Helen Keys for further information at info@helenkeys.com, Tel: +44(0)28 8674 7908

For further information, please contact:
Karen Leithead, External Relations Executive
VisitScotland
Tel: +44(0)1750 23818
Mobile: +44(0)7785590123
Email: Karen.Leithead@visitscotland.com

Incidentally, Wigtown (Scotland's National Book Town) is not on any of the routes shown (yet), but close to two where they touch Newton Stewart. Deborah and Andrew Firth of Hillcrest House Guesthouse and Restaurant are particularly welcoming to motorcyclists and frequently have visitors on their way to or from Northern Ireland. I know this because we used to live across the road from them!

For more information on things to do in Scotland visit my site at ScotlandSecrets.com.

BikerRoadTrip.com