A short foray to the Isle of Skye

[simato73]

Last weekend I went hiking with a large group of friends to the Isle of Skye in Scotland.
We do one such trip every year, usually in the late winter. This time it was in spring, only it did not feel like it on Skye.
We rented a large bunkhouse, did our food and hiked during the day. Hiking first, photography second, there was only another photographer in a group of 12 hikers.

While the vast majority of the British Isles basked in glorious sunshine, most of the time on Skye was overcast, or downright rainy/misty.

The first day, Friday, we hiked up Bla Bheinn, with its fabled view of the arch of the Black Cuillin laid in front. No such luck, drizzly rain and thick clouds were our companions most of the time, with visibility of a few tens of meters. The camera came out only half way during the descent, and here are some images from that section.

[Airy]

Good for us (not you) that the weather was misty and overcast. Great pics.

[Akira]

Good for us (not you) that the time was misty and overcast. Great pics.

Yes, indeed.  #4 is superb, but the others are no inferior.  Thank you for sharing!

[simato73]

Yes, indeed.  #4 is superb, but the others are no inferior.  Thank you for sharing!

Good for us (not you) that the time was misty and overcast. Great pics.

Thank you both, very kind.
I still wish that I could offer you a westward view from the top of Bla Bheinn. I guess that means I have to go back!

[David Paterson]

Good work, Simone - you have managed superbly in very difficult conditions.

[Anthony]

Excellent photos in difficult conditions.

[Hugh_3170]

Great stuff Simone. We all look forward to the images from your return trip to Skye.

[timh]

You made the most of the conditions. I like the contrast between misty and clear in the last one. The others are great too.

[simato73]

Thank you all for your comments.
The same day driving back the sky opened up.
We briefly considering going up again (a 900 m  ascent) but immediately gave up the idea.
Instead I shot a small churchyard from the Clearances and some landscapes on the way back - in the latter case the wonderful light on the hills had disappeared by the time I found a place to stop.

[simato73]

Day two was by far the best, both in terms of weather and fun on the mountains: up the Black Cuillin!
We walked from our door to the northern end of the ridge, scrambling up the outlier Sgurr a' Bhasteir and then onto the main ridge summit of Bruach na Frithe.
In addition to the scrambling we had fun doing a traverse using crampons and ice axe; there was much more snow than I expected for this season, and only a week before it would have been a lot more, it just got wiped away in a warm and rainy week before our arrival.
The day was dry, mostly cloudy but clear, with a fair;y strong wind. Almost perfect.
And on the way back we saw a golden eagle (too far high to take a picture of it...)

1. Sgurr nan Gillean and Pinnacle ridge
2. Sgurr nan Gillean, Am Basteir and the Tooth
3. Looking back toward Sligachan
4. View from the main ridge toward the other side (SW, Elgol in the distance)
5. Hikers traversing below the Tooth of Am Basteir and Sgurr na Fionn Coire
6, 7. Scary peaks
8. Glamaig
9. The sky clears as we approach the end of the hike...

[Hugh_3170]

Simone, I find that the greyness of the sky complements the starkness of the landscape.  Nos 4 and 8 are particularly bleak - not much vegitation - just rock.

Thanks again for these. 

[beryllium10]

Did you perhaps stay at the Sligachan bunkhouse?  Your last photo looks like a view of Glamaig from near there.  I have visited several times to do geological work in the Red and Black Cuillins, and along the coast at The Storr. I have many cheerful memories of long days in the hills.  The mountains on Skye often seem much higher than they really are, with winds and weather to match.  Your sparsely lit photos, especially the telephoto perspectives, really capture it well.

Cheers,   John

[simato73]

Did you perhaps stay at the Sligachan bunkhouse?  Your last photo looks like a view of Glamaig from near there.  I have visited several times to do geological work in the Red and Black Cuillins, and along the coast at The Storr. I have many cheerful memories of long days in the hills.  The mountains on Skye often seem much higher than they really are, with winds and weather to match.  Your sparsely lit photos, especially the telephoto perspectives, really capture it well.

Cheers,   John

Hi John,

you are correct, we stayed at the Bunkhouse, cracking place!
And I agree with your assessment of the mountains on Skye punching much above their height.
Thank you for the comments.

[simato73]

Simone, I find that the greyness of the sky complements the starkness of the landscape.  Nos 4 and 8 are particularly bleak - not much vegitation - just rock.

Thanks again for these.

Thanks Hugh, the Black Cuillin of Skye are indeed some of the roughest patch of land I've ever seen.
Not many trees on Skye - not much topsoil for them to grow!

[David Paterson]

Terrific. You have exceeded my highest expectations by a long mile.