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| Fisherfield Forest, May |
As 2021 draws to a close I've chosen 12 landscape images and 12 wildlife images that were highlights for me in the mountains. I had my usual 230+ days out on the hills, despite government travel restrictions throughout the winter and no Alpine trips again this summer. Days spent in the outdoors have never been more important for everyone's well being and happiness. Fortunately for me I have had mountains, wildlife and nature for over 35 years in my life. Photography has been one of my passions that coincides with the mountain environment.
Choosing just 12 images out of the many hundreds is a difficult task. These are my highlights and the story behind the images.
JANUARY
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| Beinn Alligin, Liathach & Beinn Eighe at dawn |
One of my absolute viewpoints anywhere in the Highlands is the fabulous skyline of the Torridon Trio of Beinn Alligin, Liathach & Beinn Eighe. The finest viewpoint is from Sgor Ruadh. The snow was down to low levels and a calm, clear night. I captured the Belt of Venus at dawn from the summit.
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| Mountain Hare in the hollow |
You may well have guessed that the Mountain Hares will feature heavily in 2021! This particular image took me 40 minutes to achieve from first sighting this beautiful creature till up close and personal. Lying on the snow and crawling slowly, constantly at eyeball level.
FEBRUARY
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| Braeriach and Glen Feshie hills |
We certainly had an amazing amount of snow to low levels throughout winter 2020/21. There were weeks of no wind and plenty of clear skies days through January and most of February. I took the opportunity to capture the Northern side of the Cairngorms at dusk. The hills were wonderfully pink in the Alpenglow of the ' Golden Hour'.
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| Mountain Hare in motion |
Between the 9th and 11th February I had some of the finest days photographing my local Mountain Hares. Bright sun, clear cobalt skies, no wind, deep powder snow and the hares in their full winter pelage. This particular guy did a 'slow' trot towards me. How obliging!
MARCH
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| Loch A'an basin |
Photographers can be quite greedy, wanting specific images to include everything. Managing this takes a lot of time and days out which don't always coincide with the right snow or light conditions. This viewpoint is one of the favourite spots, anytime of year. I wanted to catch the waterfall in melt conditions, a snowy foreground and a frozen Loch A'an. Getting to this spot at early afternoon was also crucial for the sunlight. I think I was happy with the result.
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| Brown Hare |
I have spent many years, hours and time photographing the beautiful Mountain Hare. Their distant cousin, the Brown Hare I have only recently started to photograph. I reserched this field in Glenfeshie for sometime before managing to get this lovely carachter running towards me.
APRIL
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| Richard on Braeriach's Northern Corries |
Of all the Cairngorm mountains Braeriach has to be my favourite one. High, wild, remote and with many corries to explore. Just some of the criteria that I look for in my mountains. By mid April we still had huge amounts of snow, even down to about 700m. I've known fellow guide Richard for many years and it was great to get a day on the hill together. It was a sublime day, Alpine in nature. Blue skies sunshine all day. A route in via the mountains Northern Corries is one for the conassuier of wild places. Great banter too.
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| Male Ptarmigan |
Spring time is fabulous for observing our Ptarmigan. It's the time of season when the male and female are most easily distinguished. With so much snow still around they were looking very fine with the white, snowy background. Good spells of bright sun for photography too.
MAY
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| Braeriach plateau backpacking |
In May the travel restrictions were thankfully lifted. I was out guiding again. One of my first groups out in mid May was a 2 day, overnight camping trip on the 'Cairngorms 4000fters' My group of 6 weren't expectingWinter conditions in May! It was full on winter above 800m with whiteout on the Braeriach plateau.
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| Ring Ouzel |
The ever growing birds that are now on the 'Red list' for endangered species is sad and worrying. The Ring Ouzel is one such bird. Thankfully numbers of these migrants in the Cairngorms are good. Always a joy to see on the mountains.
JUNE
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| Temperature inversion on An Teallach |
As you know, An Teallach is my favourite mountain. To get a day on the planets fines mountain with a temperature inversion is very special indeed. We savoured every last minute of the traverse, high above the cloud tops. No more need be said.
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| Gannets, Troup Head |
I've photographed Gannets at Bass Rock but I've never been to Troup Head. One of the finest places to see them. What a stunning place. You couldn't go wrong with getting a half decent photograph her
JULY
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| An abundance of flowers at Loch A'an |
It was a very hot and dry summer across much of the Highlands. The hills in mid summer are usually the least interesting from a photographers point of view. Usually our summers are wet, hazy and midgy! My wife and I had a fabulous bivvy on Macdui and the following day we wandered around on pathless hillsides under clear skies and vibrant colours. This shot was taken as we descended to Loch A'an. A beautiful array of flowers, a wonderful foreground to the impressive Shelterstone Crag.
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| Hen Ptarmigan and her 3 youngsters |
Numbers of Ptarmigan in the Northern Cairngorms have sadly decreased over the last 3 years or so. It was heartening to see families of these wonderful birds out and about in the corries and plateau this summer.
AUGUST
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| Sunrise on Liathach |
It has been over 20 years since I last traversed Torridons finest trio of mountains in one trip. The summits of Beinn Eighe, Liathach and Beinn Alligin make one of the finest traverses you'll ever have in your life. I took my tent and good cameras on a liesurley 3 day, 2 high top camping expedition in late Summer. 3 days of clear skies, stunning sunrises, wonderful sunsets and a temperature inversion on the final day. Sunrise on Liathach and bumped into Paul Milligan who I've known for many years. A memorable morning.
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| High 4 in the heather |
I've been wanting to photograph te mountain hare amongst the blooming heather for some time now. Getting a mountain hare framed by heather is no easy task. This amazing hare not only posed in the Caluna Vulgaras but he also gave me a 'high 4'. Thank you.
SEPTEMBER
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| Liathach |
Liathach makes it a second time! Yes, it's that good. Over 200 + traverses of this brilliant ridge. Always spectacular, in every month. September brings a change to the colours and to the light in the mountains. So many viewpoints along the pinnacles ridge. This one a cracking spot.
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| Snowy Owl, Cairngorms |
For many years I've roamed the Cairngorm plateau in the hope of seeing an exceptional and only a very occasional visitor to these special mountains, the Snowy Owl. There had been one or two sightings in September. I made it a mission to see if I could see him. On 3 consecutive days I walked up high and scoured the plateau without any joy. On the fourth consecutive day I was giving up hope. Then behold! There he was. Perched on the granite crags, high and wild. Amazing.
OCTOBER
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| First snows, Cairngorm plateau |
Getting the first proper snow and ice on the Scottish mountains is eagerly anticipated for many hill goers. October time the air is colder and we normally get a few days of snow. It usually disappears within a day or two. It's just a reminder that winter isn't far away.
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| 'Greenland' Wheatears |
The Northern Wheatear is one of my favourite birds whist wandering the mountains. Their colours and song is wonderful company on the many hill days through the summer. The 'Greenland' Wheatear is the last to visit our shores before it heads away to the South, stopping off in Scotland for a short rest.
NOVEMBER
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| Temperature inversion, Coire an t-Sneachda |
It's certainly been a year for temperature inversions. The colder months of Autumn and Winter are the best time to see this amazing mountain weather phenomina. This shot was taken just one hour before dusk. Magnificent and mesmerising.
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| Mountain Hares morphing into winter pelage |
November sees the changes of the mountain hares pelage. The hares have 3 changes of their fur in a 12 month period. The most dramatic is, of course, into their beautiful white coat. I love the contrast in colours of this beautiful hare and snow.
DECEMBER
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| Dusk and Temperature Inversion, again! Cairngorm plateau |
A wonderful period before Christmas in the mountains. Although we lost a lot of snow there were many days of clear skies, no wind and Temperature Inversions as a huge High pressure system sat over Scotland. Magical light and clouds!
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| He's still here! |
Seeing and photographing the Snowy Owl in Summer was very special. I wasn't expecting to see him again in winter. I had though he had flown to pastures new or back to his Arctic homeland. So it was with a huge surprise and astonishment to see him sitting pretty in a snowfield on the Cairngorm plateau. Even more amazed to photograph him again the very next day whilst guiding! A brilliant end to 2021!
Happy New year and thank you to all my clients and groups who joined me for wonderful mountain adventures in 2021. But a very special thanks, as always, goes to my wonderful wife.
