Quiraing, Isle of Skye

[canisp]

I left the car park at Grid Ref 440679 on Tuesday 23 September 2008 for a walk to the Quiraing. My last visit was over 20 years ago, but time dulls the memory and this felt like a first visit. I followed the signposted path to Flodigarry, extra care being required at one point where the path crosses a gully which was wet and slippery.


Looking south shortly after leaving the car park


The Prison just left of centre


Cnoc a Mheirlich in the foreground


The Needle on the left and the Prison on the right

Soon i was stood between the Prison and the Needle, which towers overhead and draws the eye ever upwards. I headed up a steep slope to the left of the Needle, then around the back, then on and up and round till i reached the Table. The mountain architecture of the Quiraing is fantastic, i’ve never seen anything like it.


The Needle


The Needle


Top of the Needle


Looking southeast


From the Table looking north


The Table


The Table


The Table


Descending a steep gully


Top of the Needle


Middle of the Needle

After exploring the Table and surrounding area i headed back to the Needle, then down bucket steps to reach the main path. From here i contoured round by the southwest side of the Prison, then scrambled up and reached a point between two of the summits which gave a good view of the Needle.


The Needle


A last look back


Loch Leum na Luirginn with Cleat above

I had intended going up over Meall na Suiramach and then back south to the car, but had dropped too far down east exploring, so just meandered south west and nipped up Cnoc a Mheirlich before reaching the car park.


Looking to Cnoc a Mheirlich

The only downside to my day was the 100% cloud cover, which gave the skies in my photo’s a washed out look, and no direct sunlight meant no shadows, so flat photo’s with not much contrast . But the Quiraing is a magical place which i will definitely return to again, the whole area is a photographers dream and one day is not long enough to explore the area.

[Paul Webster]

Yes, as I've got more into photography I've got more fussy about the weather. I used to be delighted with weather like that, but now like to get the shadows and good light too. We were down in Perthshire at the time you were up here - and have a very flat set of photos

[maddjock]

magical place for sure... havent been over to Skye for so long now....
re the photos; a really good piece of kit to get for your lens is a ND (neutral density) grad filter..
it is a small glass rectangle that fits to a filter holder on the front of your lens, or you could hand hold it in front of the lens. The top of the rectangle is dark grey and gradually lightens to the bottom which is clear. It helps to balance contrast between the sky and and the land, to achieve a perfectly exposed shot so no more washed out looking skies. Its perfect for getting great sunset shots also, although I cant remember the last time I have seen the sun...
Another filter I would say is essential for landscape shots is a circular polarising (CP) filter. Again it fits onto the front of your lens and improves colour saturation somewhat and reduces glare from reflective matter - car windows, water, etc.. Does work best in sunlight this one though.

d

[canisp]

a really good piece of kit to get for your lens is a ND (neutral density) grad filter..

Another filter I would say is essential for landscape shots is a circular polarising (CP) filter.

Thanks for the info on the ND graduated and polarising filters. will look into using them, might be a bit tricky with the polarising filter, as i use a small lightweight pocket digital camera.

[maddjock]

Thanks for the info on the ND graduated and polarising filters.

not a problem

[Paul Webster]

I'm going to take your advice and get an ND grad next weekend - I've been thinking of getting one for quite a while.

[benno]

Quiraing is a strange place - I did this circuit in August and really found there to be an incredible atmoshere on the lower leg of the walk, sort of eerie. It was sort of relieving to get up onto the open hillside and into a slight breeze. Amazing nevertheless.