Scotland?

[simato73]

Very interested, likelihood of participating for me is higher if the trip is in Autumn - in early Spring I already have another trip to Scotland (hiking) so it would be asking too much to my wife.
Besides I would love shooting yellow larches.
In any event I would have most likely to limit the trip to a long weekend.

Skye would be great but we must be reasonable; it is a very long trip to there and definitely not a daytrip from anywhere close to the Loch Tay area.
Obviously it would provide plenty of opportunities for a whole trip.
Personally I would love to go but it is about 9 hour drive from where I live so too long for a Fri-Mon break.
Wherever we go I would be thrilled to see some of the rarer wildlife (meaning not counting red deer) but I would not hold my breath.

If I end up going and if there is any interest from others I would definitely consider a day of strong hiking.

[petteram]

I would like to visit Scotland also. Sign me up

Petter

[David Paterson]

The number of members expressing an interest seems to have stabilised at 20, with a majority preferring the spring option. If we go ahead with this, especially if it is to be springtime, we will have to move fairly soon to book the accommodation. From what I understand, the lodges have a mixture of bedrooms with a one bed, twin-bedded   rooms, and rooms with bunk-beds. I would need to know how many members are definitely committed to a spring timetable, how many would absolutely insist on a bedroom to themselves, and how many would be ok sharing a room.

If Bjørn R and his management team agree to moving things on to the next stage, once I have the necessary information (as above) I will contact the lodges to get actual details of availability, pricing, and how much they will need as a deposit.

[Erik Lund]

Thank You David, I agree it lokks very promising indeed with around 20 people

I would say go ahead and find a nice lodge with WIFI

[Bjørn Rørslett]

I have amended the poll.

The forum only allows a single poll per thread, so I added various options  for room choices. Please note you need to click 'Remove Vote' to activate the additional voting options. Tick your initial season choice again as your earlier vote in effect is zeroed.

[chris dees]

Shouldn't we have a date first?

[Erik Lund]

We need a cottage and a date Yes David will go look for this...

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Oops. I thought Dave had set that already? As far as I recall, towards the end of May, 21062016.

Thanks Erik for catching my year typo - apparently I do more of these of late

[Erik Lund]

Thats a mistype by miles 2016

[chris dees]

Oops. I thought Dave had set that already? As far as I recall, towards the end of May, 2106.

Mmmhhh... 2016
Yes, but I think it has to be more specific for commitments (at least for me

[Bjørn Rørslett]

Wait for Dave. He'll sort this out quickly.

[simato73]

I have changed my vote to reflect the new options.
Very regrettably given family commitments it is unlikely I would be able to go in the spring of 2016.

Please do go ahead discussing dates between yourselves; when there is one I can try to discuss it at home but the chances are very slim.
In case I participated I am very flexible wrt room sharing. Alone, sharing between 2 or 3, neither is a problem, nor is price.

[Bjørn Rørslett]

There will be other NG come-together events. We hope at least there will be 2 such each year and won't object to more of course. Members outside Europe should try to find out if alternate venues are better suited for their events. The important aspect is that personal contacts result in establishing mutual friendships across borders geographical or otherwise. Our devotion to photography is the foundation and the 'glue' to make us stick together.

[David Paterson]

I will speak with the lodges people tomorrow, on the basis that we will have around 20 participants, all of them single (no couples), and at least half not wishing to share a room. This means that we will have to rent 4 or even 5 lodges and the cost per person will be greater than if a majority were willing to share. On the other hand, it's not every day that someone rolls up with a party of 20 so I may be able to negotiate a discount. I will aim for sometime in mid-May and come back to you with a choice of dates, a cost per lodge for the week, and the amount required as a deposit. (Their "weeks" run from Sat. to Sat. as is usual.)

I'm attaching an image to give some idea of Killin's situation - very little of the village is actually showing, but its position between a steep little hill (Sron a' Chlachain) and a fast-flowing river (the Dochart) is accurately represented.

[simato73]

Dave, just a slight aside, but it could be relevant for me in connection with this trip, what are the rules around wild camping in Scotland?