Mountain landscape - Scotland

Glen Coe ridges and Schiehallion 4.32am

Glen Coe (in Gaelic, Gleann Comhan) is a much visited part of Scotland, by hauliers passing through as they deliver supplies between the Central Belt and Fort William; by tour buses and minivans who deposit their clients underneath the mighty Three Sisters; by hillwalkers, climbers and mountaineers who come here to ascend the steep paths, scale the rocky cliff faces and reach the scenic summits; and by photographers, such as me, who are seeking to capture the grandeur of the landscape.

On this occasion, buoyed by a good weather forecast, I was both hillwalker and photographer, my intention being I’d camp on the summit of Bidean nam Bian, 1150m high above Glen Coe, and see what photographs I could make.

Activity-wise, I’ve both climbed and walked in Glen Coe. Curved Ridge on Buachaille Etive Mòr in Summer and Dorsal Arête on Stob Coire nan Lochan in Winter I’d class as favourite days out. I’ve also ascended all the Munros and Corbetts nearby, apart from Aonach Eagach, or notched ridge, which has a fearsome reputation of ground that, once you’re on, the only sensible way off is to continue or to retrace your steps - there has been multiple fatalities on the ridge. (I did plan to attempt Aonach Eagach once, after a mountain landscape photography shoot next to one of its summits, Am Bodach, but wet mist had caused slippy ground on the first rocky descent and with a heavy camera backpack I decided to stop play. I’ll need to go back, ignoring the weight of its reputation).

Mountain ridges and Glen Coe I’d suggest are synonymous. In the foreground of this photograph is Bheinn Fhada, one of the three major ridges from Bidean nam Bian that form the Three Sisters of Glen Coe and with a tricky Bad Step on which you can come unstuck. (Gearr Aonach and Aonach Dubh are the other two ridges of the Three Sisters but they’re behind me in this photo). The next layer in the scene is the Munro Stob Coire Raineach on Buachaille Etive Beag, with the one after that being the shoulder above Coire nan Tulaich, which leads up to the summit of Stob Dearg on Buachaille Etive Mòr. Finally, you can see Schiehallion in the distance, which isn’t in Glen Coe and is almost 60km away as the crow flies*. Its reputation is of its ability of being seen from multiple locations across Scotland as well as being the hill on which contour lines were first created on a map.