Liathach (pro; leeahuch - ch as in loch) The Grey Man, one of the Torridon Giants, taken across a partly frozen Loch Clare. This scene looks serene but the process of getting to this spot nearly killed me, since I arrived late and not wishing to push my luck with the setting moon headed off over snow in wellington boots. And I walked straight in to a recently felled plantation of small saplings that being covered in snow turned out to be an endless series of mantraps! Then to compound the problem I came up against a high deer fence which in wellies and carrying a heavy Bergen rucksack was far from a calming experience to surmount. One parking spot further on and I would have avoided all the snags… You win some!. Torridon, North West Highlands.

Oak trees by the waterfalls at Chia Aig near Achnacarry in the North West Highland part of the district of Lochaber in the Highlands of Scotland.

Beinn Alligin in winter spleandour. The meaning of the word "Alligin" is obscure but may derive from a Scots Gaelic word for "jewel". Torridon, North West Highlands of Scotland.

I try to avoid converting colour images to Black and White now, but this conversion of “Glory” (which is in the Colour Landscapes gallery) had to be done.

From the Gaelic Beinn Tigh - Home Hill in this case of Clan Cameron in Lochaber in the North West Highlands.

Torridon in the North West Highlands.

Dava moor in the North East Highlands of Scotland.

Above Dava Moor in the North East Highlands.

In Glen Affric in the North West Highlands.

This is a black and white conversion of a shot I took of pre-dawn clouds reflecting in Loch Garry in the North West Highlands. Whether it’s right to just convert colour images to black and white when you didn’t intend the original shot to be in black and white is questionable, but sometimes not converting them would be an awful waist of an image.

Torridon in the North West Highlands.

A rainbow in the spray from Plodda Falls in the North West Highlands.

The hills above Glen Elg on the west coast of the North West Highlands from Mam Ratagan pass in Kintail.

The smaller falls above the famous and biggerChia Aig falls in Lochaber in the North-West Highlands of Scotland. These smaller falls are now lost to small hydro-electric scheme.

So titled because, although it seemed no creature had been here on the banks of the River Findhorn for a very long time, with deep virgin snow everywhere, just visible bottom right of this image are otter tracks.

Chia Aig falls, Lochaber in the North West Highlands.

Looking to the distant Isle of Taransay over Luskintyre Bay on the Isle of Harris in the Western Isles of Scotland.

Scots Pine reflected in Loch Assynt, North West Highlands of Scotland.

The River Findhorn near “Randolf’s Leap”, Moray.

Over Dava Moor in the North East Highlands.

A lone oak tree stands by a frozen Lochindorb. Moray, North-East Scotland.

In Loch Maree, Torridon, the North West Highlands.

Slioch (pro: shleeuch) The Spear, so named for the pinnacles to the left of the summit. Torridon, North West Highlands.

Loch Garry in the North West Highlands of Scotland.

In the Grampian Highlands of Lochaber.

Minus 13 at Loch Beinn a Mheadhoin (pro:Bayn a veeoyn - Loch of the Middle Hill) in Glen Affric, North West Highlands of Scotland.

Loch Garry.

Beinn Alligin is one of the “Torridon Giants” and it’s name in Gaelic possibly means the “Hill of the Jewel”. The North West Highlands.

The waterfall up stream from the more famous Chia Aig falls in Lochaber. I called it “Ghost” becaise it no longer exists, having been replaced by a small Hydro electric plant.

Spynie woods near Spynie Loch, south of Lossiemouth, Moray.

Alligin Shuas (Lower Alligin) Torridon, North West Highlands.

By Loch of Blairs south of Forres.

The River Divie near where it flows in to the bigger River Findhorn. Moray, North East Scotland.

The River Divie is usually much wider at this point.

A ruin on Dava Moor on the northern edge of the Cairngorms National Park that I’ve photographed before in “Once Upon the Dava” which can be found in the black and white impressionist gallery. As you will see, this one is not so gloomy. Oddly in colour this one looks quite ordinary.

The River Findhorn is one of Scotland’s foremost salmon rivers but narrows abruptly to a few metres wide to the bottom right of this image at a place called “Randolf’s Leap”. As you can see, when I took this image the river was flowing under a snow bridge way too flimsy to take the weight of a human but no problem to otters whose tracks can be seen there and on the banks of the river upstream. Moray, north-east Scotland.

You can read more about how “Randolf’s Leap” IN THIS BLOG

End of autumn in the gorge of the River Findhorn near Randolf’s Leap in Moray, North-east Scotland.

The River Dundonnell in the north west Highlands.

A view of the ruins of Duffus castle near Lossiemouth in Moray. From the road, away to the left, the sky was just ripply cloud, almost like plough furrows in appearance with no blue sky visible at all.

Between rocks in the River Findhorn, Moray, Scotland.

The River Findhorn downstream from “Randolf’s Leap” in Moray.

The River Dundonnell in the North West Highlands.

One of many waterfalls along the length of the River Nevis in Lochaber in the Grampian Highlands of Scotland.

Duffus castle near Lossiemouth in Moray, North East Scotland.

A gorge of the River Findhorn in Moray.

Whitetree farm near Elgin, Moray.

The ruins of Duffus Castle near Lossiemouth in Moray.

During a break in an afternoon of blizzards on Dava Moor in the Eastern Highlands.

In the River Findhorn in Moray, North-East Scotland.

The old boat house at Loch of Blairs near Forres in Moray.

In Glen Roy, Lochber, in the Grampian Highlands.

“Birks” being the Lowland English Scots dialect for Birch.