Misty Golden Distance

Misty goln sunset rays across strathspey

Golden rays stream across Strathspey before sunset

It has been below freezing all week, with some lovely sunny days – although daylight doesn’t last long now we’re almost into December.

I took the steep route up Craigellachie, over very steep ground in deep shade, and emerged blinking in bright sunshine onto the ridge for the panoramic view across Rothiemurchus to the snowy Cairngorms…

Winter panorama across Rothiemurchus to the snow-covered cairngorm mountains
Snow-covered Cairngorms

The path bumps up and down across the top on rocky outcrops, skirting as much of the not-quite-frozen-enough bog as possible    Hare-tracks were everywhere.

Looking south from craigellachie towards sunset glow, winter
Looking south towards the sunset glow

The sun was sinking rapidly, and for a short while golden rays streamed across the hazy landscape. The Cairngorms to the East turned pink.

Last light on Braeriach and cairngorms, in winter snow turned pink
Braeriach and Glenfeshie hills

Afterwards, the mountains continued shining peachy-pink with the reflected colour from the glowing clouds. This winter light is so full of the most intense chromatic variations, from deep yellow twinged with crimson in the south, to a pale green edged with peach in the west, full of subtlety.

“Light is a thing that cannot be reproduced, but must be represented by something else – by color.”

Paul Cezanne

I carefully  descended the icy boulders in growing darkness, for home and a warming fire.

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One thought on “Misty Golden Distance

  1. Hi Neil

    These are lovely views of the hills and mountains capturing the contrast between the snow and the colourful lower land. Great shots that illustrate the effect of the variation of the light at different times of the day. I bet that fire felt good after all that.

    My regards
    Peter T.

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