Mike Souter Photography

Thursday evening on the Pap of Glencoe 🌄

The light driving through Glencoe to reach the start was sensational. Dark clouds did gather as I began the climb, but shafts of sunlight broke through the gaps, creating breathtaking scenes across the landscape. To the left, Beinn a’ Bheithir rises dramatically above Loch Leven, whose waters glowed beneath the evening light. In the distance, the distinctive silhouette of Garbh Bheinn emerges through the haze, completing a view that made every step worthwhile.

Photography often feels like a mix of knowledge, skill, a little luck and a lot of patience…

I’d known about this spot for a while and felt it would work well in the late afternoon light. Passing by on my way to climb the Pap of Glencoe for sunset, I stopped to have a look.

The lochan was covered in ripples from a strong breeze, and any hope of reflections seemed unlikely. With no rush to move on, I spent some time searching for a composition. Then, without warning, the wind completely dropped and the water became perfectly still, revealing this incredible reflection. Sometimes patience really does pay off….

There’s something special about mixed conditions on the Black Cuillin. Most people hope for clear blue skies when heading into the mountains, but I’ll take cloud and shifting light every time.

The way the weather moves across Skye creates drama you just don’t get on perfect days — views appearing and disappearing, light breaking through for a moment, the whole landscape constantly changing. Combined with the dark, jagged gabbro of the Cuillin, it gives the whole place a wild atmosphere that’s hard to beat. Up there, it hits different.

Golden hour drifting over the River Tay