A Photographer's Paradise

With its snow, frost, and bright afternoon sunshine, Kilchoan has become a photographer's paradise.

The cold has continued for so many days now that Loch Mudle, to the east of Ben Hiant, has frozen over, its surface sparkling under a layer of rime. The Loch is on Estate land and is reputed to hold some fine trout, but the only way of catching anything today would have been eskimo-style, through a small hole drilled through the ice

While some of last week's snow has melted from the lower slopes near the sea, the tops are still thick with it. This view was taken today looking almost east from Ardslignish, up Loch Sunart in the general direction of Strontian. There's no sign of any of the sea lochs freezing - yet.

This view looks north from the Kilmory cross roads, down the valley towards the village of Achateny and the island of Eigg, which has largely lost its snow. In the distance stand the snow-capped mountains of Rhum.

Braehouse Cottage, one of the loneliest of the Ardnamurchan Estate's letting cottages, lies in shadow as the temperatures drop. Rhum is in the distance. The road out of Kilchoan was clear this afternoon after some intensive work by the gritting lorries, but it's certain to freeze again tonight.

JH