Cairngorms National Park, March 2023
This was the first international hiking trip for my friends and I, after having hiked many U.S. national parks. It was also going to be in more intense conditions than previously experienced, as the Scottish Highlands were still very much in heavy winter. I've broken the following image collections out by excursion, along with my thoughts. I'll be making a short book for the trip that will be available for sale. These images are also all available as prints, just reach out for options. Specific images that I've already selected for print are available here: https://arajphotography.darkroom.com/
Gear on the trip:
- Sony A7 IV
- Sony GM 16-35 mm F2
- Sony G 70-200 mm F4
- Kase magnetic filters
- Peak Design Tripod
Hike 1 - An Lochan Uaine and Meall a' Bhuachaille
Image set below
Our first day in Cairngorms went off with a bang of mild temperatures, fantastic cloud coverage, and ample light. This was uncharacteristic for the area as we soon learned in the coming days. We originally set our sites on an easy hike to warm up at 6:30 a.m. with An Lochan Uaine. But once we got out to the loch, we saw a moderately sized mountain off to the side, which turned out to be Meall a' Bhuachaille. And with the amazing weather encouraging us, we turned a 3 mile hike into a roughly 7 mile hike.
I especially enjoyed working on the compositions where the mountains were less the focal point but the background to interesting foregrounds and midgrounds, such as the bothy (small hut) along the trail and the loch with melting ice on top.
Hike 2 - Ben Macdui, Stob Coire an t-Sneachda, Cairn Gorm Circular
Image set below
No, I do not know how to pronounce most of the hikes we did. No worries.
Hike 2 was our most challenging by far, up to the second highest mountain in the U.K., Ben Macdui. We saw in the forecast favorable conditions (not too much precipitation, relatively low wind, less chance of heavy clouds) which are critical for this hike which can be very treacherous. Many warnings from locals led us to rent some ice axes for the hike as well, which luckily we didn't need. But at the top it was indeed whiteout conditions (enveloped in clouds and snow, visibility only up to 10 feet in front of you), so we had to fully rely on phone GPS for navigation. It worked out, but I got 0 photos for most of the hike since, well, you couldn't see anything. But on the descent we were treated to a break in the clouds, sun, and warmth. Walking down into a valley of running streams and an amazing view onto Loch Morlich was a reward beyond words.
Loch Morlich
Image set below
In between challenging hikes we'd find photography locations that we could either stake out at or saunter around. Loch Morlich was one such location, where you could literally just drive up to a beach and step out of your car to this amazing view. We came here twice with very different conditions, one with no sunlight whatsoever, and the next day with vibrant gold tones. I iterated on my compositions each time, and it's hard to pic a favorite. If you're reading this and you have a strong preference, reach out and let me know which you prefer, it would be greatly appreciated.
Hike 3 - Sgor Gaoith
Image set below
Sgor Gaoith was a fun one. It was a 9.5 mile hike with a 2,798 ft elevation gain that took about 6 hours total when all was said and done. Once we reached the peak, we had a brief moment of elation at relatively clear conditions (when I took most of these images), but it didn't last. We were soon hunkering down at that peak you can see in the distance of some of the images, trying not to be blown off the mountain as winds picked up and visibility went to 0.
Stream to Loch Morlich
Image set below
We returned to this incredible view of the stream leading down to Loch Morlich the evening after we completed the hike, which can be seen in hike 2 above. The scene had now been transformed by fresh snowfall and amazing light. It was well worth the high winds and cold temperatures that kept us frigid for the 2 hours we spent in this exact same spot. Why stay so long? Well, you get to watch the light change across the vista. Let me know which of the 3 similar compositions you think is best.
Hike 4 - Back to Meall a' Bhuachaille
Image set below
We loved the mountain from the first day so much, that we decided to take another route up it. Well, conditions this time weren't as great, at least not at the top. On the way up I snagged a couple of shots in heavy fog that I really enjoy. After sitting at the top for 1.5 hours, we decided that enough was enough, and we should head in a different direction on the way down. This took us to a fantastic view of the backside of Cairngorms, as seen in this winding river leading towards the mountains. By the end of the day, we had spent about 8 hours straight hiking.
Quiet Scenes
Image set below
I'd like to finish off this page with a collection of "quiet" scenes taken between the main hikes. These were in woodlands, along lochs, and on some picturesque ancient "roads". Scotland is a truly stunning place that I cannot recommend enough. Visiting in mid March gave us the opportunity to explore these locations with almost no human interactions thanks to the offseason perceptions. I'd say this is probably the best time of year to go. Hopefully I'll be back sooner rather than later.
As a reminder, all images on this page can be requested as a print, just send over an email or an Instagram message. And as always, general prints can be purchased here: https://arajphotography.darkroom.com/
