Coigach and Assynt
The further north you go on on the West Coast of Scotland, the more remote it gets. The area north of Ullapool, comprising the Coigach Peninsula and Assynt, is a long way to the north! Roads (even footpaths!) are few and far between, while the nature of the scenery changes - large blocks of high ground traversed by narrow glens, seen further south, are replaced by an uneven but much more low-lying landscape sprinkled with imposing, often mis-shapen, mountains often standing in isolation.
Coigach
Stac Pollaidh above Loch Lurgainn
River Garvie below Loch Oscaig
Sand Pattern, Achnahaird Bay
Sand & Seaweed, Achnahaird Bay
Stac Pollaidh is arguably the best known of all the peaks in the region. Others may be equally deserving of our attention, but Stac Pollaidh (pronouned 'Stack Polly') is topped by an eccentric ridge that is quite distinctive.
The River Garvie snakes its way picturesquely in its short journey from Loch Osgaig to the sea. Nearby, Achnahaird Bay offers many opportunities for photography, with views of Suilven (Sula Bheinn in Gaelic) ad other distinctive peaks; here, however, I have concentrated on abstract patterns in the sand.
Coigach Sunsets
Sunset at Ardmair Bay
Evening Light over the Summer Isles
Afterglow over the Summer Isles
Moorland above Altandhu
The Coigach Peninsula offers several opportunities to view the
setting sun - here the high cirrus clouds are seen above a few
scattered boats at Ardmair Bay, while the view over the Summer Isles
from the moorland above Altandhu is magnificent in the evening
light. In the first moorland image, the awaited sunset never materialised, but the scene is suffused with a lovely soft, silvery light; in the second on a subsequent evening, the clouds are illuminated by a striking afterglow. I then turned my camera across the moorland towards the distant mountains.
Elphin
Cam Loch at Elphin
Cloud over Suilven
The road north from Ullapool passes through the tiny hamlet of Elphin, bordering on the area of complete wilderness surrounding Loch Sionasgaig. Here, the view from near the graveyard sets deer grass in the foreground against Cam Loch and the relatively lowly peak of Cnoc an Leathaid Bhig in the distance. On our visit, passing clouds periodically enshrouded the higher peaks, including the mighty humpback of Suilven as seen here.
Loch Assynt
Ardvreck Castle (1)
Ardvreck Castle (2)
Falls near Ardvreck Castle
Islets in Loch Assynt
The main road north from Ullapool follows the northern side of Loch Assynt, where Ardvreck Castle makes a striking landmark. The nearby waterfall is pleasingly surrounded by autumn trees, while in the fourth image the islets that are so often a feature of lochs in this area are set against the approaching storm stormy weather.
Stoer Peninsula
Clachtoll Bay: Rocks & Sand
Clachtoll Bay: Evening Sun
Clachtoll Bay is to be found on the west coast of the Stoer Peninsula, in the north-west corner of Assynt. More sand patterns here, created as the tide recedes, and illuminated by the late afternoon sun.