Spring Snow on the Cuillin

Passing wintry showers leave spring snow on the Cuillin of Skye

Whilst Sgurr Alasdair is the highest peak in the range, my eyes are inevitably and inextricably drawn towards its most northerly – Sgurr nan Gillean, a distinctive and shapely summit quickly and easily identified from so many parts of the island. Seen from Sligachan, Sgurr nan Gillean, along with the neighbouring Sgurr a’ Bhasteir and the distinctive intervening ‘fang’ known as Am Bhasteir or the Bhasteir Tooth, form a triptych of peaks that provides one of the finest, and indeed one of the iconic views of the Scottish Highlands.

At the time this image was taken, Scotland had endured a predominantly cold winter; a deep and particularly resiliant snow pack had built up across much of the Scottish Highlands including the mountains of the western seaboard and the Isle of Skye. On this fresh and breezy morning a front was approaching from the west was producing lenticular clouds across the summits, a feature that enhanced the overall image.