Early May, the weather forecast was looking fantastic and a weekend with nothing in the diary. If that's not a bunch of reasons to get the tent out the loft, grab the camera, pull on the hiking boots and head to the stunning Glencoe range, then I don't know what is.

Packing for these trips is a challenge. Keeping kit to a minimum to save on weight but not wanting to be left wishing you had brought a certain bit of equipment is a tricky one. I was going to camp in Glencoe so I needed all the necessary camping kit. I opted for a two bag strategy, with one being a day pack so if on the drive up I saw something that caught my eye I could grab the day sack that held my camera equipment and be unrestricted for getting off the beaten track. The other bag was a large rucksack that I would need to fit a tent, sleeping, water, food. The camera gear I would transfer from the day pack when i was ready to ditch the car and head into the hills for the night.

The plan was to first drive to Finnich Glen and photograph the devil's pulpit, a 70 foot deep gorge, cut in red sandstone. Although not too well known to tourists it is a magnet for photographers who love the moss covered walls that plunge into the red waters below. After a good few hours spent shooting various locations at The Devil's Pulpit it was back on the road for a stunningly scenic drive along the West coast of Loch Lomond to Glencoe, climb a hill, pitch the tent and see what photographic opportunities appear.

Finnich Glen

This was my first visit to The Devil's Pulpit and I was not disappointed.

Back on the Road to Glencoe

I didn't have a much of a plan when I got to Glencoe but the decision was made with the road to Dalness closed and being told that the it will not be opening for a few more hours. I wasn't pressed for time but I did want find a decent spot to camp that would give me undisturbed fews of Glencoe range. I parked the car up and headed directly up Stob Na Doire.

**Stunning views for dinner. Can't get much better than this.**

It was a tough climb with lots of loose rock and absolutely no path to follow. There were times where I thought I should just return to the car, I was carrying a lot of weight and it was treacherous under foot. I powered through and got to a ridge that lead directly to the summit of Stob na Doire. The views were breathtaking and definitely worth the climb. I must have sat there for 30 minutes just looking over the range into the distance grateful that I had put the effort in to reach the summit.