Yester Castle

The castle wall, Ilford Delta 3200

We went down to Gifford, in East Lothian, to find that the new owners of the farm have made walkers on the land very unwelcome. I wasn't in the mood for a fight, so we took a drive down to the golf club, where we were welcome to park, provided that we let them know in the clubhouse. It's nice to know there are still public-spirited folk out there.

I decided not to be burdened with camera gear, so just took my little Afga Isolette, which had a few frames left in it of a roll of Fuji Pro400H, and a roll of Ilford Delta 3200 in my pocket.

Part of the keep remains, Ilford Delta 3200

A walk alongside the bunkers and greensward took us to one of our favourite haunts, Goblin Ha'. This magical place has been here for almost a thousand years and is full of stories and little hidey-places. The remains of the castle and keep are here, along with a subterranean crypt that can be accessed with care: the path is slippery and dangerous at the best of times, let alone in the wet seasons.

The underground crypt from outside, Ilford Delta 3200

The Fuji 400H came back from AG Labs absolutely flat, which makes it easier to scan. I'd struggled recently with film stock curling in the scanner, spoiling my efforts to make nice, in-focus images. The images themselves were more contrasty and emotive in the Ilford photographs, in my view. Compare the above image with this one:

The crypt from outside, Fujifilm Pro 400H

This was a family outing: a chance for some of us to spend quality time together in this natural and mystical place, right for reflection. The setting was good for clearing heads and strengthening bonds. Little discoveries and the distraction of mindful photography made for a perfect autumnal break from the madness.

A portal in the old castle wall, Ilford Delta 3200

I developed the Delta 3200 film in 1:150 Rodinal R09 for an hour and scanned both on my Epson V600 at 4800 dpi. Most of the images are about 100 Mega pixels at that resolution and the negatives are nice and sharp. Not bad for a fifty-year old folder that cost me about the same as each roll of film did.

Notes