A Highland Photo Trip: Part 1 Ruthven Barracks

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Fujifilm X-T2 + XF10-24mm f4 - 3s @ f9 ISO200 (zoom 10mm)
On Friday 27 January we set off from Edinburgh for a two day photo trip into the Highlands around Ullapool.  We left Edinburgh two hours before dawn and as we traveled up the A9, the main road from Perth to Inverness through the mountains, we decided to stop at the ruins of Ruthven Barracks to capture the sunrise.

 Ruthven Barracks stand on a mound on the opposite side of the A9 from the village of Kingussie, about 13 miles south of Aviemore.  I have been traveling up and down the A9 since I was posted to RAF Kinloss in February 1987 but have never stopped to view the ruins.
Fujifilm X-T2 + XF10-24mm f4 - 1/13 @ f11 ISO400 (zoom 12mm)

Ruthven Barracks were built in 1719 by the British Army after the failed Jacobite uprising in 1715.  

 In the 1745 rising led by Prince Charles Edward Stuart a unit of 12 British soldiers, commanded by a Sergeant Terrence Molloy of the 6th Regiment of Foot, defended the barracks against 200 Jacobites and lost just one man. The following year Molloy surrendered to a larger force of Jacobites, commanded by John Gordon of Glenbuchet.  Ruthven was destroyed by the Jacobites after their defeat at the Battle of Culloden and the ruins are what remains.  Ruthven Barracks are now a scheduled monument and is free to visit all year round.

 When we arrived it was about 45 minutes before sunrise and the sky was starting the brighten as we set up the tripods.  The main building is lit by floodlights and we captured a few images from the main entrance.  I then decided to head down to the left into the field near a copse that would give me a good long shot of the barracks perched high on the mound.

 While I was taking wide shots on the X-T2 I was taking detailed images of the barracks with the X-Pro2 and the XF100-400mm, with the stonework silhouetted against the brights sky and a flock of black birds flying above the ruin before landing.
Fujifilm X-Pro2 + XF100-400mm f4.5/5.6 - 1/200 @ f5.6 ISO200 (zoom 100mm)
As the sun broke over the surrounding hills I headed back to the entrance before we headed north up the road to stand on a hill looking south with the sunlight providing a golden glow to the stonework with the mountains as a backdrop.
Fujifilm X-T2 + XF100-400mm f4.5/5.6 - 1/640s @ f5.6 ISO200 (zoom 100mm)
We then headed further north to Inverness for the next leg of our photo tour into the Highlands.

 CLICK HERE for more information on Ruthven Barracks

 Other features from this trip
A Highland Photo Trip: Part 8 Sunset at Altandhu - CLICK HERE
A Highland Photo Trip: Part 7 Clashnessie Beach to the River Polly - CLICK HERE
A Highland Photo Trip: Part 6 Kylesku to Drumbeg - CLICK HERE
A Highland Photo Trip: Part 5 Ardvreck Castle - CLICK HERE
A Highland Photo Trip: Part 4 Bealach na Ba to Applecross - CLICK HERE
A Highland Photo Trip: Part 3 Lochcarron to Loch Kishorn - CLICK HERE
A Highland Photo Trip: Part 2 Inverness - CLICK HERE
Fujifilm X-T2 + XF16-55mm f2.8 - 1.5s @ f6.4 ISO200 (zoom 16mm)
Fujifilm X-T2 + XF10-24mm f4 - 2s @ f11 ISO200 (zoom 10mm)
Fujifilm X-T2 + XF10-24mm f4 - 1/125s @ f9 ISO400 (zoom 10mm)
Fujifilm X-Pro2 + XF90mm f2 - 1/220 @ f4 ISO200 
Fujifilm X-Pro2 + XF100-400mm f4.5/5.6 - 1/50 @ f5.6 ISO200 (zoom 400mm)
Fujifilm X-T2 + XF100-400mm f4.4/5.6 - 1/500s @ f5.6 ISO200 (zoom 245mm)
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ALL IMAGES (UNLESS INDICATED) ARE THE PROPERTY OF MACLEAN PHOTOGRAPHIC AND CANNOT BE USED FOR ANY PURPOSE WITHOUT PRIOR PERMISSION

MacLean Photographic run Tours and Workshops in East Lothian and the Borders of Scotland.  CLICK HERE for more details and availability

Jeff Carter is an Official Fujifilm X Photographer and was named as a Fujifilm brand ambassador in June 2015. In 2016 he worked with the company on the launches of the Fujifilm X-Pro2 in Tokyo and the Fujifilm X-T2 in Paris in July 2016.  You can view his profile and gallery on the Fujifilm website HERE

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Location: Highland, UK

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