Having seen a panoramic image of dawn light on Ben Lomond by the world renowned Scottish landscape photographer Colin Prior, I was keen to see if I could find the stunning viewpoint and create an image of my own.
It was late December 2014, around the winter soltice. The mountains had a dusting of snow and clear calm conditions were forecast for the Sunday morning. At this time of year the sun rises at it's most southerly point - and thankfully not to early! I set off from home about 7.30am and drove through the inky blackness of the night, arriving at Luss an hour later. I knew sunrise was just 20 minutes away so I had little time to spare.
The thermometer in the car read -7C and the air was beautifully clear and calm. I made my way quickly up the path on Beinn Dubh, stopping occasionally to catch my breath and look down at the array of islands in Loch Lomond, as the blue hour gave way to the golden dawn. I had no knowledge of the precise location which would give me the best view of Ben Lomond, but I knew I needed to be above the tree line, Once I reached this height I struck off to the right across rough ground towards a fence on a steep section of slope. Some deer were alerted to my presence as I reached the fence and they appeared to be surprised to see a walker on this part of the hill!
I'd found the viewpoint I'd been looking for - a wonderful vista across the narrow stretch of Loch Lomond to the Beacon Hill. The sun had just come up above the horizon at the south end of the loch and the light gradually transitioned from warm pink, to red, then golden yellow. It was now just after 9am and the summit and shoulders of Ben Lomond were bathed in the low sidelight, with every hump and hollow clearly defined giving the mountain a muscular appearance. I spent the next hour creating photographs and also simply enjoying the tranquillity of my surroundings and the loch below.
As I headed back down the hill I passed some fell runners and hillwalkers who looked somewhat confused at my descent so early in the morning! It had been a great start to my day and it was time to head home for some breakfast.