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Writer's pictureJoe D'Ambra

Photographing the Magical Island- Isle of Skye

Updated: Apr 10, 2020

As mentioned in the title this place is literally magical in the diversity of the weather and the landscapes. You can find some otherworldly views here. Thus the Isle of Skye is a frequently visited area by photographers. I visited the island in September 2018 and thought I'd share some hints, tips and insight on the area.


Old Man of Storr

The image above is of the Old Man of Storr, this is perhaps the most famous location in the Isle of Skye. The Old Man of Storr is about a 10 minute drive from the capital of Skye- Portree. This location is fantastic to photograph at both sunrise and sunset. The image above was taken at sunrise- unlike a lot of places this was busy at sunrise so you can find many other fellow photographers to chat to! The walk to the best view point of the rock formation takes around 30-40 minutes and its all uphill from where you park. Give yourself a good amount of time to get there before the sun rises or sets!


Down the road from the Old Man of Storr you can find a lesser known spot called Brothers Point. I didn't know about this location before a local recommended me to go. So you will have a great opportunity to photograph somewhere a little off the beaten track if you decide to go here. It will take you around 30 mins to hike there from the nearest place to park. I'd recommend using an nd filter here due to the amount of movement you will find in the sea and generally in the clouds too. The image below was shot with a 10 stop ND filter.


Brothers Point

On the same road there is yet another brilliant location for photography. Kilt Rock and the waterfall next to it are areas of phenomenal beauty. This is another popular spot for tourists so don't be surprised if its busy there. There is a view point for the waterfall which stretches off the side of the cliff face. This view point is a great spot to take photos from. The image I took below was from this view point. The waterfall also photographs well with the use of a drone. You can find images taken with a drone online. I unfortunately wasn't able to take any as it was too windy!



Kilt Rock

On the same road further down again- yes there are so many opportunities to take great pictures on this road! You can find perhaps one of the most magical unearthly places in Skye- Quiraing. You could stay here for months and still not run out of new ideas for photographs. Everywhere you look is mindblowing. I stayed for the sunset and managed to get some images I was very happy with and I'm sure you can do the same. There is car parking right next to this spot so you can choose to go for a long hike around or just go for a short walk and admire the view.



Quiraing

Another spot well worth a visit is the famous Sligachan Old Bridge. This beautiful old bridge sits right infront of an unbelievable mountain range. Making it perfect for photography. You can find excellent compositions all over the site and there is a highly photogenic house right round the corner from here so be sure to check that out too!



Sligachan Old Bridge

There are many other incredible locations you can visit on this island. Be sure to check them out on https://www.locationscout.net/locations/797-isle-of-skye. The great thing about this island is you can find an abundance of opportunity for taking photographs just driving around. The variable weather and landscapes allows for a constantly changing environment which is a dream for photographers. I managed to get this shot below just driving down the road and saw this rainbow out of the window. You get a lot of rainbows here because, well, it rains a lot!



Isle of Skye

Be sure to check the weather before you visit because as mentioned before it does rain a lot here. Although don't be put off by the rain it can provide opportunities! The island is very popular so be sure to book accommodation in advance. Or you can wild camp here- Scotland allows this!


Thank you for reading and if you have any questions be sure to get in contact.


Joe

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