As a person who has spent a lifetime exploring California’s High Sierra Nevada, I have seen a lot of rugged, alpine scenes. “My” mountains typically require me to climb to near or above 10,000′ to see scenes like this. But here in Scotland, on the Isle of Skye specifically, the mountains rise from essentially sea level. While the peaks are all below 4000′, they nonetheless present the same alpine scenery I find among the highest peaks in the Sierra.
I photographed this on our last day on Skye, as we were close to driving off the island and heading further north. We stopped at a viewpoint along the roadway that offers an impressive view of the peaks of the Cuillin mountains. The low sun was lighting the peaks and clouds from behind, causing the moist atmosphere to glow, and leaving the close side of the mountains in partial shade. It is hard for me to determine with certainty, but I believe we are looking at the ridges of Bienn Dearg.
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G Dan Mitchell is a California photographer and visual opportunist. His book, “California’s Fall Color: A Photographer’s Guide to Autumn in the Sierra” (Heyday Books) is available directly from him. Blog | Bluesky | Mastodon | Substack Notes | Flickr | Email
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