Landscapes in Scotland

Isle of Skye & Glen Coe, 2026.

For any that has not been to Skye its an island of the west coast of Scotland connected to the mainland by a high bridge, making it easily accessible (apart from in high winds). The island is stunning and worth a visit at anytime of year. 

Getting There and First sunrise (Friday)

Setting off at midnight on the Thursday with the intention of spending the time around sunrise in Glen Coe on the way to Skye was the plan. When we arrived at Rannoch Moor around 4am we were greeted by a wall of water as a storm raged in from the east, not the start we hoped for. 

Deciding it was not going to brighten up before the sun appeared we decided to push on for a further 2.5 hours to Eilean Donan Castle on the Kyle of Lochalsh and the gateway to Skye. 

Arriving right at sunrise we got greeted by parting clouds, no rain and a view to Skye in the background. While not a spectacular sunrise it was a very pleasant start to the trip and also revealed that the peaks of Skye where capped in snow! 

Spurred on by the snowy peaks we moved on to one of the main junctions on Skye, Sligachan Bridge. You can see in the image opposite the scene we encountered, dramatic ligth and snow on the Black Cuillin mountains, stunning!

After stopping at the accommodation in Portree we headed up to the north west corner of Skye and both our first time seeing Niest Point. The lighthouse sits on a long out crop of rock and has the potential to offer stunning sunset images. This evening was not going to give us great light but it did allow us to recce the place for future visits, Probably best around March time would be best. We did walk down to the lighthouse and grab some closer up shots, shown in the full gallery below.

Saturday

After a very long day on Friday we decided a big walk up to the Old Man of Stor could wait until Sunday. We opted for the easier option and a drive upto the spectacular vantage point of the Quiraing. Little will prepare you for the views from this amazing place (imaged in the full gallery).

During the day we headed into the centre of Skye and to the Fairy Pools that sit under those snow capped Black Cuillin mountains. Possibly the most iconic landscape location on Skye but still stunning, especially with the snow on the mountains. 

For sunset we drove over to the remote location known as Talisker Bay. A short walk to the beach and a loveley sunset over the retreating sea was our reward at the end of another long day.

Sunday

Sunday morning was an early start and a long walk up the mountain to the Old Man of Stor. I have wanted to make this walk for a long time and while hard work it was well worth the effort. More good light illuminated the landscape as the sun rose exposing the iconic rocks of the Old Man and the landscape beyond. 

During the day we explored a few other spots on the islands before heading over to another iconic places on Skye -Elgol.

The images from this rocky beach have a reputation of being stunning and we could see why on arrival. I must admin finding the best use of the available elements was a challenge and in the end my useable image ignored the beach and focussed on a new angle of the Black Cuillin Mountains. 

Monday morning and it was time to pack the car and start teh long journey home. Sunrise was a revisit to a spot we checked out on Sunday, Sligachan waterfall. Just a few miles away from the bridge we shot on the first day this waterfall offered good sunrise ligtht and a statifying final morning on the island.

Woth forecast suggesting that Glencoe could have some ligth we decided the Skye had been very kind to use and it was time to go look for a scene in Glen Coe we have not found on previous visits > The hidden waterfall.

While the light was a bit grey finding this spot was another tick for the trip and the wide pano shot below shows how special this location was.

The Trip Home

After some lunch in Glen Coe we started the long drive home and reflected on how Skye had provided many great opportunities and light that was fun to work with as a photographer. I am sure this one be the last trip to this magical place.