Bonawe Iron Furnace, Taynuilt, Argyll & Bute, Scotland

Much of the time that I have been passing Bonawe Iron Furnace, a National Trust for Scotland owned museum these days for its eighteenth century charcoal (from trees in Argyll's forests) powered heyday is long gone, conditions have not been sunny. The exception was a brief encounter on the 2008 Mayday Bank Holiday when I actually was on my way back home after a weekend that saw better weather than that which I expected or for which I was prepared with schemes that made use of it. When I captured this scene, I was hoping to get a glimpse along the upper reaches Loch Etive in the splendid sunshine but there proved to be insufficient time available for that. Later on, I was to find myself with more time around Tyndrum than I had planned due to a missing coach departure for Glasgow that much delayed my arrival time until after midnight. If only I had used the train from Tyndrum South station instead of taking a chance with road transport...

My various forays around Taynuilt started with a grey though dry one with friends in November 2002 after a soaking on Kerrera the day before and before deteriorating weather the next morning. July 2003 saw a return that did allow me to glimpse Loch Etive with brighter skies and sunshine but a piece of disorganisation on my part meant that I had less colour camera film to capture than I would have liked. The day before that, I believe that I trotted along roads from Oban to Taynuilt by way of Glen Lonan and returned from my destination when rain began to set in for the rest of the day. That got reprise in August 2004 with an extension as far as Glen Noe on a day beset by showers it ended like one in 2003. A Sunday evening in June 2005 saw me pass the way in declining light after a long walk that was started too late in the day for what it was (Loch Awe to Glen Strae to Lairig Dhoireann to Glen Kinglass to Taynuilt; it took next to ten hours and needed the long daylight hours of June). Sine the 2008 encounter, I reprise that out and back walk from Taynuilt to Glen Kinglass that so delighted and infuriated me in 2003. That again was beset by spells of rain before conditions dried for the evening to leave glorious views savoured in a still, silent ambience.