Camas Rubha a Mhurain

The coastal road that twists and turns north from Arisaig provides the traveller with some of the most breath-taking scenes that the west coast of Scotland has to offer: sweeping beaches of white and golden sands; outcrops of barnicle-encrusted rocks; and, most dramatic of all, a view across to the islands of Eigg and Rum.

But for photographers this particular part of the coast presents challenges. Tabletopped Eigg and rugged, mountainous Rum are irresistibly photogenic, but from the beaches that grace this stretch of coastline it is almost impossible to capture a view of the islands without the intervening outcrops of rock standing stubbornly in the way. This is particularly problematic at sunset, when the rocks present their darkest side to the photographer. Nevertheless, it would have been a crime not to photograph such a location, dark rocks included, with the day coming to an end in such a spectacular way. We are doubtful that we will see a repeat display of such colours and light for many years to come.

Canon EOS 5D and EF 16-35mm lens.

Exposure of 1.3 seconds at f/20.