In 1972 I first acquired a decent camera and the following year came to the Hebrides for the first time. Every holiday since has been spent on either the west coast or the islands of Scotland and my passion for photography has grown throughout this period. The two events are not wholly unconnected... What makes the Hebridean light so special? Is it the clarity of the unpolluted Atlantic air, perhaps the moisture content, or simply the reflection of light from the sea? I don't know, but whatever it is, it keeps calling me (and many others) back. So, to try and capture that light on film, what should you bring and what should you be looking for - especially on Coll?

Bring a camera you are familiar with - never use a new one for the first time on holiday. Bring plenty of film; your favourite brand may not be available on the island (and any you don't use will keep perfectly well in the freezer till next year). If your camera has interchangeable lenses, pack the lot. The island has its fair share of wind-blown sand, so protect the lens with a U.V. filter and keep your camera in a plastic bag - especially on dunes and beaches.

A wide angle, the wider the better, is a must; even a 24mm. will not cope with Crossapol Bay in one shot! The old story of not pointing wide angles upwards should be dumped into the Sound of Mull - how else can you deal with the superb skies of May and September? All you need is a thin strip of land along the bottom edge, but avoid telegraph poles which will lean and give the game away - unless you find one of the many that may be advantageously straightened up.

There is much wildlife on Coll, but seals, otters, buzzards etc. are usually only seen at a distance, so if you're lucky enough to stumble across one nearby, your camera should be instantly ready, and, if it's fitted with a telephoto lens, the shot of a lifetime is in the bag.

Attractive pictures abound on the island; often it's only a matter of being at the right place at the right time. Try these for example: -

Morning: Sorisdale for the thatched cottages; Arinagour Main Street (try to get Butt to sit still); the new Castle on the sea side.

Midday: Noon light is rarely successful, but try the wreck of the Harmony in Gorten Bay at low tide.

Afternoon: The old Castle from the road; the waves in almost any west coast bay (best when it's windy) and don't neglect into the light shots where the sun catches wave-crests.

Evening: The inland face of the new Castle; the MacLean burial tomb after 6 p.m. in summer when the light steals across the front highlighting the relief, and on your way back, try Arinagour from up by the church.

Sunset: Park on the first available spot just over the Windy Gap and run up the hill on the left - praying that it's clear enough to see the Outer Hebrides.

The headlands on the west coast are covered in wild flowers, but they are small, sheltering from the persistent wind. Most compact cameras will not focus close enough for single blooms, but the S.L.R. user with a set of extension tubes will have a 'field day'. No photographer will neglect the bays between either, from the ripples on the windblown water - the devil to focus on to the wide sweeping beaches, the multi-coloured rocks - pink, grey and veined with green.. They are all there; if only you look and SEE.