I waited with a couple who had travelled all the way from the most southerly tip of Ireland to join the wildlife photography course. It was good to have their company, but where was our coach?

When we heard that there would be a further delay to the transport, we left our belongings at the bus stop and wandered up the hills for a short walk. Within minutes I was panicking about my expensive camera at the side of the road.

‘Everyone is so wealthy here that nobody will steal it’, said the woman. ‘It will be fine’.

‘But what if I see something that I would like to photograph?’ I protested.

At that point I caught in my peripheral vision the brush of a long heavy tail in the undergrowth at the side of the road. A trio of otters was out to play! They were so close that I was able to whip out my iPhone and take the most astonishing shots of otters in the wild.