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Niko Benas

September 21, 2024 - Twelve days on Isle of Skye

Why is Scotland's most famous Island so special?

The Isle of Skye offers some of Scotland's most spectacular scenery. The soaring peaks of the Cuillin Hills, the dramatic geology of the Old Man of Storr and The Quiraing, an extraordinary assembly of pinnacles, rock towers and secret places.


Here is my top ten selection of my personal fotospot favorites, purely subjective and without any claim to completeness:



No. 10 - Rha Waterfalls

Rha Waterfall on the Isle of Skye is a hidden gem in the Uig Forest. Although it is relatively small, this waterfall has impressive power, especially after heavy rain. The detour to the waterfall is worth it just because of the mystical forest and the beautiful stream. From the road it is about 350 meters to the waterfall. Uig Wood is considered ancient woodland and has been forested since at least 1860. It originally formed part of Uig Lodge, before passing to the Woodland Trust in 1988. This is one of the largest areas of broadleaf woodlands in northern Skye and is home to a huge variety of lichens, fungi, and moisture-loving plants such as nightshade, saxifrage, pimpernel, and pignut.



No. 9 – Sligachan Old Bridge

Everyone who visits Skye probably passes Sligachan at some point, as it’s the crossroads of the island. It’s worth stopping here as there are a number of excellent photo locations in the area. Regardless of the time of day or year, there is usually something which works well here. The obvious starting point is the old stone bridge, but at many times this can be covered in tourists which ruins its appeal as a photographic subject. Walk upstream though and you’ll soon be out of sight of most people, and depending on how much rainfall there has been recently, you may find some attractive rapids and small falls within a few hundred metres of the bridge.

A rushing river under the ancient stone arch bridge would certainly have looked more spectacular. Unfortunately and surprisingly, relatively little precipitation fell during the 12 days of my stay.



No. 8 – Elgol

This is a very popular location for photographers so don’t expect to have the place to yourself. The most popular time is just before sunset, but this location can be just as good at dawn. Unless you are staying in Elgol itself though, you’ll have a lengthy drive to get there, which is why it’s more popular at the end of the day. Access the pebbly beach next to the school and turn right, walking towards the mountains in the distance. After a couple of hundred metres you’ll pass Honeycomb Rock which is a popular photo subject in itself. Walk a little further though for the best views towards to the Cuillin mountains and to get the most interesting foreground. Try to get close to the water’s edge and capture the motion on the waves crashing around the jagged rocks.



No. 7 – Talisker Bay

Access to the island’s most attractive beach is via a 20 minute easy walk from the car park. Make sure you don’t visit here at high tide as there will be no beach! The best time to visit is on a receding tide, about 2 hours before low tide, as this will ensure you have a beach free from footprints. Once on the beach you will see a prominent sea stack on the left hand side as you face the sea, and an impressive waterfall (if there has been recent rainfall) to the right hand side. Both of these make for great backgrounds. All you need to do is wander along the beach to find suitable foreground subjects. Consider using the many rocks scattered among the sand, the patterns formed by the waves on the black volcanic sand, or the waves themselves as they wash in over the beach. Try using an exposure time of around a second to capture movement in the waves.



No. 6 – Eilean Donan Castle

The castle sits on a small island that is completely surrounded by the sea at high tide. The only way to get to the island is via a long and beautiful stone bridge. This bridge and the dark walls behind it made Eilean Donan famous because it was repeatedly used as a film set. Whether for the film “Highlander” or other cinema hits, such as James Bond’s “The world is not enough”. The location is picturesque and strategic at the same time. Eilean Donan is located exactly at the meeting point of three gulfs. From the Isle of Skye in the west comes Loch Alsh, which then bends to the south-east and from then on is called Loch Duich. Loch Duich extends deep inland, all the way to Shiel Bridge. The narrow Loch Long runs above the castle.



No. 5 – Loch Fada

Located just a few miles north of Portree on the A855, this loch lends itself to photography because of the island situated in the middle of it and the fact that the backdrop is of the mighty Storr - Skye’s highest peak outside of the Cuillin. The best time to visit is at dawn when you’ll have the best chance of getting a clear reflection on the water and to capture the first light of the day striking Storr. The good thing about this view is that it works wide angle or telephoto, so regardless of what equipment you have, you should get something good from here if the conditions are suitable.



No. 4 - Fairy Pools

Located on the northern slopes of the magnificent Black Cuillin range, Skye’s famous Fairy Pools are beautiful crystal-clear blue pools on the Allt Coire a' Mhadaidh, which can be seen snaking down the hillside of Coire na Creiche into Glen Brittle where it becomes the River Brittle.

The wonder of the Fairy Pools entices visitors from all over the world, as they make some great wild swimming for those brave enough to enter the ice-cold waters. For the less adventurous, these magical Fairy Pools make for some fantastic photos. From the car park there are impressive views out towards the Black Cuillins. This walk to the pools follows a wide, smooth and firm gravel path with footbridges crossings over the water. There is a short, steep rocky section after the second bridge. It takes about 20 minutes to arrive at the first and largest waterfall that marks the start of the pools.



No. 3 – Neist Point Lighthouse

Probably the most popular location to watch the sunset. Neist Point is actually the most westerly point you can drive to in the UK without having to get on a boat, so it makes sense for it to be a natural sunset location. It only works at the very end of the day, and is best during the late spring or summer months when the sun will be setting off to the side of the scene. The iconic views are from the cliff top which is just a short walk from the car park. However, there is plenty of potential to be original here if you take time to explore the area and look for unique viewpoints.



No. 2 – Old Man of Storr

The most popular location on Skye for visitors, but they mostly arrive between breakfast and dinner time. Storr doesn’t work at the end of the day, so the best time to photograph it is before sunrise. It’s a 45 minute relentless uphill hike from the car park to get to the main rock formations, but the best photos are from viewpoints slightly higher and to the north. To access these, allow an hour from the car park, which means you will need a good head torch as you’ll be setting off in the dark. It’s also worth taking time to explore the area to the south of the Old Man, as there are a number of great viewpoints in between the various rock formations.



No. 1 – Quiraing

By far the best photo location on Skye, and one of the best in the world. The attraction is not only its unique and amazing hills, cliffs and rock formations, but the limitless opportunities for viewpoints and compositions. You can shoot from right next to the car park if you don’t fancy a walk, but if you have the time and energy to go exploring, then the further you walk the better the opportunities become. Most people tend to walk to the north, but there are also some great locations if you walk to the south. This way involves a much steeper hike though, so go north if you like the easy option. Be sure to be here at the beginning of the day, as the entire area is in shadow in the evening.

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