Isle of Skye - round up

The best weather day of the holiday was set aside for a trip down Glen Sligachan, Nic didn't fancy a hillwalk and the low elevation of Glen Sligachan enhances the prominence of the surrounding hills. Besides there was an opportunity for an image with early sunlight on the floor of the glen as the sun cleared the tops of the Red Hills to the south east.

It was an enjoyable walk, a stretch of the River Sligachan was explored, but the best of the early light had passed and with the Black Cuillin in close proximity, a wide angle, tilt shift lens would have been useful to preserve the true perspective.

The excursion turned into a something of a social, as a local professional landscape photographer, was met on the way and we chatted amongst other things about the current situation on Skye, which has grown to be a prime bucket list destination for landscape photographers and the photography workshop industry. Shortly after we stopped and chatted to two contractors heading down to carry out path maintenance on the slopes of Druim Hain, for the John Muir Trust. One was carrying a Hasselblad film camera and documenting the work and landscapes, with 'quality lighting' as part of a long term project, I'll look forward to viewing that body of work one day. Given the forecast of heavy showers for the afternoon, a decision was made to take advantage of the weather and change the plan, to view the Cuillins from further away.  We retraced our steps back up Glen Sligachan, as the showers started to roll in.  We then travelled to Strathaird, for southerly views of the Cuillin and Nic, could spot for marine wildlife in Loch Scavaig from elevated position.

The Camasunary track was taken, prolonged showers meant it was heads down walking and the opportunity to appreciate the geology exposures - sedimentary rocks, dykes and basalt. Nic, didn't fancy the walk to Beinn Leacach, she could scan the sea and coast for marine life adequately from Am Mam. A break in the cloud to the SW let some light through for a double rainbow. That brief window of light was the only one of the trip.

With dusk approaching and the hill fog lifting from the Cuillin, the opportunity was taken to make an image of the juxtaposition between glacially scoured rock and the periglacial landform of the Cuillin ridge.

There's something compelling about about the Black Cuillin in some weather, wreathed in hill fog and rain. I have yet to make the photograph that captures that brooding atmosphere, but the climate of Skye at least gives plenty of opportunities for practice.

The trip to Skye was an enjoyable one, a mix of weather, geology, landscapes, scenery and wildlife and a few areas/locations identified to explore in the future.