The day before we had been up in Scotland at North Berwick after an early start. In the morning we had visited the Isle of May and in the afternoon had sailed close to Bass Rock to watch gannets dive for fish.
Coupled with our early starts and worries about Covid the bed in our hotel room had a bedside table that did not help with my sleep. Several bumps on the head were usual each night!
Day 3: Depart hotel at 4am for landscape photography at Low Newton. Return to hotel for breakfast at 9am. Depart hotel at 1pm for Inner Farne for many seabird species including puffins and arctic terns as well as grey seals by boat. Return to hotel for 7pm for evening meal. Evening review of group’s images and how to process them.
Low Newton: 29th June 2021
Yet another early start to the day!
From my two guide books Low Newton is on page 33 of The Photographer’s Guide to Northumberland and on page 126 of Photographing Northumberland.
Dunstanburgh Castle can just be seen.
Seahouses: 29th June 2021
After trying to catch up on sleep we were once again on the road this time to Seahouses to catch our boat out to the Farne Islands. The National Trust were being very careful about visitors to the Farne Islands and we were lucky to be able to get out there. The visit to the Isle of May had been organised before the Farne Islands were opened up.
We waited along with other passengers in the large area in front of the booking offices. This ice cream van on an old Mini van was really a memory from the past. Once our boat trip was called we followed down the quay to the boat.
To the Farne Islands
From my guide book the Farne Islands are on page 114 of Photographing Northumberland.
Around the Farne Islands
We were taken on a tour around the islands before landing.
Inner Farne: 29th June 2021
After the brief tour around the islands we landed on Inner Farne.
My #1 interest was to see puffins and to accept the challenge of capturing them in flight.
Puffins in flight…
Processing these images in May 2026 I have deleted over 300 images as the puffins were missing(!) or out of focus. At least fast jets fly in a straight le. Whereas the puffins are avoiding the seabirds trying to find their burrows.
Just one example of an out of focus shot.
On the ground I had no problems…
Walking back to the the boat to leave Inner Farne.
Sailing back to Seahouses
It is easy to forget in 2026 what is was like after all the Covid lockdowns and the care the majority of us took when out and about.
And a reminder that some of the Farne islands were still closed.
We had another early start the day to go back to North Berwick. This time to go out to Bass rock and visit the gannets nesting place.
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