Rainy Slioch Loch Maree and a lone Scots pine

My first few days in the far reaches of North West Scotland, around the beautiful Loch Maree area, were definitely themed by the weather.. mainly rain and this photo of a lone scots pine was taken during a rainy spell as the rain showers made their way over the famous Slioch Loch Maree mountain peak in the Beinn Eighe Nature Reserve.

As challenging as it may be sometimes when the weather isn’t quite on your side it quite often produces more unique images, certainly not all landscape photographers are prepared to stand in pouring rain for 30 minutes on the remote chance that it’s actually going to stop… thank goodness for Goretex waterproofs and weather sealed cameras! Fortunately though this morning my patience, and waterproofing, was rewarded as shortly after this photo of the lone Scots pine was taken the sun broke through the clouds briefly illuminating the passing showers to create some beautiful rainbows arching over the loch.

Almost 14 miles long, Loch Maree is the 4th largest freshwater loch in Scotland… and has a reputation of one of its most beautiful. It’s set in a wild, remote landscape between the forest of the Beinn Eighe Nature Reserve and Slioch Mountain and is famed for amazing scenery and diverse plant and wildlife. It’s an amazing photography location and during my visit I never saw another soul… although the weather may have influenced that a little.

Slioch Loch Maree on a rainy day in the Scottish Highlands