In the half-light between mist and sun, within the deep folds of the winter Coullin, a sparkling bridge of light spans the Choire Laggan. Some say the rainbow bridge Bifrost leads all the way to Asguard, home of the gods. It’s guardian Heimdallr has nine mothers and teeth of glittering gold, so perhaps think twice before stepping onto this bridge. Others swear that sparkling pots of fairy gold lie at its foot, but we know for sure that this bridge of light leads the way to the Hollow Corrie and its turquoise blue waters. Today however, with winters snow still clinging to the Coullin peaks, is not the day for this adventure. As we watch, tangled drifts of mist and cloud brush across the jagged rocks, softening them. 
Further up Glen Brittle, the clouds and mist won the day against the sun, and swept in around the curved bowl of Coire ne Creiche. Sitting with a soft cloud blanket around his shoulders, Sgurr an Fheadain, sits proudly guarding the Glen of the famous Fairy Pools of Skye.
His name means Rock Pipe, or Water Pipe Peak, and you can clearly see the line of the pipe splitting the pyramidal peak in two. Today was not the day to swim in these magical waters, but the swiftly ever changing drama of cloud and sun around the Coullin peaks wove its own spell. The conditions up here can turn in moments, as the jagged peaks weave their own weather from the passing clouds and wind. Just half an hour latter the rain clouds moved off, and left us with this parting shot.
The mixed half-light of cloud and sun can offer some magical landscapes, and if variety is indeed the spice of life, then this mixed light offers our senses something very tasty indeed. This landscape is never the same twice, which is a wonderful aid for staying in the moment and living in our senses, rather than caught in our thoughts. Each moment here offers something fresh and rather magical, and their are fairy hills and pools woven with myths and gods around almost every corner, if you know how to look! The sharp eyed among you might spot Molly strolling into shot in the right hand corner!
This post is in the theme of half-light to tie in with this weeks WP photo challenge.
Also this is day 2 of my 7 day nature photo challenge.
I’m inviting Laura over at eljadee to join in today. She takes wonderful arty wildlife shots often from within London city. She is also very creative with her photo blending and editing. Pop over and take a look at her site.
breathofgreenair 
loved your words about this place!
I knew this area was beautiful Seonaid …but honestly you ‘ve really taken them beyond that in these landscape captures . Who couldn’t be inspired by them and touched by your descriptions .
Magnificent .
What gorgeous comments Poppy😊I’ve missed you💕
Laura@eljaygee has taken up your challenge! only because you ask so nicely and invite so temptingly. Could not hope to match your superb eye for landscapes Seonaid so it’s a good thing our ‘natures’ are so very different
Go for it Laura, I love your images💕
Divine! Magical tour in the half light! Thanks Miss 😃
My pleasure Julie….sharing makes everything so much more fun😆
Sparkling bridge of light – such a beautifully descriptive phrase. I’ve seen the light and shadows transform in just this place. It is indeed magical. And one can certainly imagine a pot of gold, at just about any point in this spectacular landscape. We are lucky to live in such a stunning, geographically varied and inspiring country.
It’s true Kellie, I never forget how lucky we are to have all this wild variety on our doorsteps! This is such a beautiful spot, and we had a friend of Andis visiting who had never been on Skye…..he was blown away, and frequently lost for words😆 I love it when that happens💞
Your photos are as always literally breathtaking. With all our travels somehow we never managed to come to beautiful Scotland – so, dear Seonaid, your photos mean a lot to us.Thank you!
What a lovely response to the post….many thanks😊 Breathtaking is such a wonderful comment to receive for an image….job done😆 I have to confess though, these landscapes are even more stunning in person, with the vastness of the earth seeping into your awareness as you watch the unfolding show of the mountain clouds😆 Sorry to hear you never made it here….but this is perhaps the next best thing….and less tiring!💕
Magical in so many ways! Of course that pot of gold is actually the golden light of the sun 🙂 It’s real and priceless but can never be held onto, true ephemeral beauty!
Sarah, that’s so true, and the perfect response. As photographers of course we’re biased….but sunlight is everything about the magic of nature to me😊 The way a landscape will suddenly jump to life around you as the could a part always catches my breath and brings a smile to my lips😆💕
Doesn’t it though? I sometimes wonder how many people actually stop and realise that magical transformation that has occurred right before their eyes! Beautiful day here today 🙂 I spent the afternoon watching the kingfisher on the canal!! Guess what next week’s Blue Monday will be 😉
Can’t wait to see your captures. We get kingfishers on our local river but I’ve only ever seen them as an effervescent flash of blue….almost gone before seen!
You need to find their perching spots! They normally have somewhere like a post or overhanging branch that they like to sit on and preen for a while. Try the slowest moving parts of the river!
Great tips….I’m off hunting kingfishers when we get home😊
I wish you luck!! If you come across any birders while you’re out it’s always worth asking what they’ve seen and where. It also might help to listen to the sound a kingfisher makes! The RSPB usually have sound clips for our birds. I very often hear birds I want to watch before I see them 🙂 The kingfisher call is quite piercing!
Beautiful, beautiful landscapes. Can’t quite tell what’s going on among those clouds in the second shot … are those wanna-be rainbows?
Thanks David💕 The clouds are dropping down into mist around the Corrie behind the central peak, and rolling slowly around the slopes….meanwhile the clouds in the upper corners are just beginning to thin and let in a little more filtered light. It’s quite a strange effect, and held me captive for ages watching the swirls and shifts….but no rainbows that I noticed. They do tend to flash on and off quickly though in this changing light😊
Breathtaking!
It was Tina💕
The first photo did literally make me gasp, just amazing and how lucky are yo to capture a shot like it!
Hey Gilly, as you can imagine I was grinning ear to ear with excitement and delight! It’s always such a gift to have a rainbow placed so beautifully by nature😆They flash on and off around the hills and lochs at this time of year…..but this one was perfectly composed for me💕 It lasted only a few minutes and was gone….you have to be quick on the draw to catch them!
Beautiful descriptions and photos.
It’s always good to hear the words and images work well together😊sometimes these mountain images can steal the whole show!
Beautiful images 🙂
It’s a beautiful landscape to work the camera in Su💕
It certainly is lovely.
Wonderful, breathtaking images. Seonaid. Love that “sparkling bridge of light. ” 🙂
That was a very lucky capture Sylvia😜 This time of year rainbows flash on and off across the hills in moments, but they’re not always so beautifully placed….I liked the composition with the rolling clouds and the burnt umber foreground! I’m sure you can imagine I was grinning ear to ear😆
I know I’m repeating myself, but you do call one of the most beautiful parts of our global community, home. Wonderful photos. 🙂
Judy, I do feel very lucky to live in Scotland, and the wild Highland hills are always so beautiful….they take my breath away every time too😆
The ground seems to glitter with the Celtic red gold… maybe remnants of the Gods grinding their teeth or maybe the pot of gold really exists, just not the way humans assume. It truly is amazing how the change in the cloud formation can impact the view of the land as it is stunning! Thank you for your glorious pictures and delightful words. You truly are an artist!
Gwynn, as always, many thanks for your enthusiastic responses to my posts💕 I love the colours at this time year….all burnt umber, gold and orange….with splashes of yellow beginning to appear on the gorse and the daffodils😊 These landscapes never look the same twice….now that’s natural magic😜
Stunning images. I had to remember to breathe, they are so beautiful. 🙂
Robin that’s such a great compliment to hear about an image, thank you💕Your images are often so filled with stillness that I breath out and relax from the moment of opening your posts😊
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Glorious images, Seonaid!
Thanks Sue💕
Lovely captures! great entry for WPC-Half Light!
By the way do you have to travel quite a lot to witness these amazing vistas or this terrain is located close by?
Many thanks💕 we travel about 5 hours north of our home near Edinburgh to Plockton, the place my mothers from. We visit several times a year….I can’t get enough of it😆✨The Skye bridge is 6 miles down the road so we have easy access to many stunning views while up here💕
Oh that’s great. for me to access similar views in Himalaya I need to travel for 48 hours and then hike for few kilometers! You’re luckier! 🙂
Scotland is great for landscapes, as it’s pretty compact but wildly varied😊 They say that the mountains on Skye were once as high as the Himalayas, until the ice age wore them away to what we see now!
Ah! never knew that…by the way, Himalayas were actually formed much later. 🙂
Stunning views via your lens!! Takes my breath away…
Thanks Amy….to take someone’s breath away is a great compliment for a photographer….job done💕😊💕
Beautifully captured. I love the power of the winter in these landscapes. x
Yes, winter has not released her grip of the high mountain passes just yet😊
Sometimes visitors get fooled by the sunshine and warmth of the low lying glens and they venture up too far too early in the season into the hills. Every year there are accidents and deaths here😞Most locals hold the high peaks with respect….they know they can be dangerous!
The views are absolutely magical. xo
It’s a very magical place….and shows wonderful ever changing plays of light😊💕
You are very fortunate to be within reach. It looks like a place I’d go to for quiet meditation and revival. Have a lovely day. xo