Carsaig, Isle of Mull, Scotland

THE STORY BEHIND THE PHOTOGRAPH

Carsaig is a small community on the southern shore of the Ross of Mull. Perhaps calling it a community is a bit over-the-top, as there really isn't much there beyond a couple of houses and a pier. I had never visited Carsaig before and had no idea what to expect, as I took the road south from Pennyghael, over the crown of Glen Leidle. From the height of land that runs down the centre of the Ross of Mull in an east-west direction the road plunges down towards Carsaig in a series of severe turns. As my car came around one of these bends the water of Carsaig Bay came into view beneath me. The high spur of land behind me cut off the late evening sun, and created an incredibly dramatic spotlight on half the scene below, and lit up only the top of a tree on the slope below the road. I could not resist, and pulled over into a layby and managed to get this photo before the sun sank too low to illuminate the tree. I love the drama of the light, with the distant reef lit by the sun and the water in shadow.