Gloria Grandolini
May 2026 - Faraid Head Stacks
About the Image(s)
My Favorite West Highland Hike
This image was taken at the northern tip of the Faraid Head Hike which is a 4 mile coastal walk
near Durness in Scotland. It starts at Balnakeil Beach and you walk through magnificent sand dunes,
sea cliffs and dramatic viewpoints overlook Cape Wrath. The stacks in the image are called the Faraid Head Stacks.
I included my hiking partners in the photo as it gives perspective. The hike is quite north and off the beaten track so we were alone in the whole trail which made it even more memorable. I do not love the gray sky.. but not much I could do with it.
Shot with Canon R5
1/400 sec at f16 ISO 400 handheld
24m (RF 24-70 f2.8 L IS USM)
3 comments posted
This is a beautiful place. You generally have a choice of what to include in the frame of your photo. You could take an image with much less sky or crop it out in post. All that being said I like the clouds in the sky and would crop only the sky with no clouds. The fence acts as a leading line to your friends. Just like animal shots you hope for separation between the people. The farthest person is doing something interesting. In 4 miles of hiking you probably took a lot of beautiful photos. Posted: 05/18/2026 11:29:00
Thank you Richard for the tips. Yes I will use more
Photos from this hike - the dune/beach sections are amazing too. Posted: 05/18/2026 11:42:50
Photos from this hike - the dune/beach sections are amazing too. Posted: 05/18/2026 11:42:50
I agree with Richard, crop out some of the sky as it isn't very interesting. I might also lighten the foreground a little to get the greens brighter. Rocks and trail very compelling. Looks like a lovely place, look forward to more of this area. Posted: 05/18/2026 19:47:40