Suilven and Canisp

Suilven may be a relatively small peak but its remarkable and distictive outline make it one of Scotland's best known and most popular mountains. Suilven's bulk is comprised of highly eroded Torridonian sandstone sitting on a bedrock of much older Lewisian gneiss. Along with its near neighbour Canisp, it appears much higher than its actual height would indicate due to its steep sides and the vast surrounding "cnoc and lochan" moorland scenery from which it rises in magnificent isolation. On this early spring day I had set out with the intention of capturing images of several peaks in the area culminating in a sunset shot of Suilven. The weather on previous evenings had suggested the possibility of there being a good sunset, However, as the afternoon shadows lengthened, heavy and brooding shower clouds gathered inland. Whilst the colourful sunset did not materialise I was, nevertheless, provided with an interesting spectacle of contrasting sunlight, shadow and cloud over the summits of Suilven and Canisp and the intervening moorland above Lochinver.