Isle of Eigg
Last week I had the pleasure of spending some time on Eigg, courtesy of a trip arranged by Mc2 Photography. Marcus and Adam helped deliver the three elements that made the trip a success; great locations; knowledge and advice; and a fun and enjoyable atmosphere (the latter of these helped by a great group of guests). Sue at the Lageorna Guest House in Cleadale did a superb job of keeping us fed and watered; the food and hospitality were first class. With all the above going in my favour, any shortcomings in the images below are entirely of my own making…
Eigg itself is the most populous, although not the largest, of the Hebridean Small Isles; the largest of the isles is Rum which dominates the views from the west side of the island. The history is Eigg is rich and storied and well worth looking up and the island is now owned by the Eigg Heritage Trust following a community buy-out in 1997.
Laig Bay
We broadly split our time between the two beaches in the Cleadale area of the island, Laig Bay and the Singing Sands. Laig Bay is the closer of the two to the accommodation, although both are well within walking distance. We spent the first afternoon exploring the beach before heading down to catch the sunset. The weather gods smiled upon us and we were rewarded with a spectacular show of light.
Laig Bay looking across to Rum at sunset. The many rocky pools and rock formations provide plenty of opportunity for foreground reflections…
Fujifilm X-T3 | 10mm f/13 1/2s ISO160
The bay is a beautiful sandy beach with unobstructed views across to Rum. Set back from the beach is a lovely white church, which catches the sun in the morning, while to the north the sandy beach turns to rock with a range of interesting formations and shapes, including some round concretion formations. Having the time to explore the area in the afternoon gave us an opportunity to explore potential shots before the light started to fade.
The first evening at Laig Bay yielded a couple of decent shots, including a couple of long exposures. The sunset for the second visit on the third night was less vivid, but still very pretty. Sunrise lent itself to simpler compositions that explored the light reflecting off Rum, as well as the texture and colours in the sand.
Sunset shot of rock formation and green algae looking across to Rum.
Fujifilm X-T3 | 10mm f/13 1s ISO160
The Singing Sands
North of Laig Bay is a second beach, known as the Singing Sands (Tràigh a' Bhìgeil), so-called because of the squeaking noise the quartz sand makes when walked on (and when dry). The second afternoon was spent here, exploring some of the features, before we headed back for the sunset and following sunrise.
Rock formations at the singing sands beach looking to Rum at sunset. Some of the formations look quite alien in nature…
Fujifilm X-T3 | 10mm f/16 1s ISO160
The beach here has a number of interesting features to explore, including a recessed waterfall, a couple of interesting caves and a natural archway. The terrain, however, isn’t as friendly as Laig Bay in that it’s rocky and quite uneven. In addition, there are a couple of features that can only be accessed when the tides is further out, which is worth keeping in mind.
Sunrise at singing sands.
Fujifilm X-T3 | 10mm f/16 1.5s ISO160
Cleadale and Eigg
While we spent the majority of our time, and all of the photography friendly sunrise and sunset hours, at one or other of the two beaches, the island has much to recommend it besides these two locations. There are small vignettes and grand vistas aplenty to fill the day.
On the Monday a couple of us joined Marcus and Adam on a hike up and across the main route, a route known as Sgòrr an Fharaidh and the Finger of God. (It’s not actually His finger, but rather a rocky outcrop which one imagines resembles said appendage). While the route was quite steep, we were rewarded with fabulous views across both sides of the island, with Rum and Canna to the west and Skye and the mainland to the east. There are also some quite nice smaller scenes just off this route, including an abandoned cottage and tractor, that were quite photogenic in their own right.
An Sgurr from Eigg Pier. This remarkable outcrop is visible from most of the island…
Fujifilm X-Pro2 | 16mm f/11 1/60s ISO200
Overall I was left feeling lucky to have seen the island in such great weather and light. Eigg is an outstanding gem of natural beauty, nestling in a landscape that itself shifts from one stunning vista to the next. Mc2 Photography added to the experience, and I’m looking forward to my next trip with them. In the meantime, I’m left with some fabulous memories of Eigg.
