Inspiration

A photographer’s guide to the Isle of Skye in winter from Owen Howells

Sawday's Expert

5 min read

When we visited Skye in May, we were wary of adding to the crowds that flood the island’s most popular spots, so we took local tips from our knowledgeable hosts and found our way to places and experiences a little less well-known. Sometimes though, you’re going to a place for iconic views that you’ve been dreaming of seeing for years. What do you do then? Well, the photographer we were working with, Owen Howells, has a beautiful answer. Travel in the off season. Dodging crowds and visiting Skye outside of summer, he captured the island as few ever see it. Here’s his fresh perspective on some of Skye’s hotspots, which lose none of their magic in winter.

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Owen Howells is a Pembroke-based photographer who travels widely with his camera through west Wales and beyond. Find out more about his photography here.

The Fairy Pools are one of Skye’s most famous places, but there was nobody around (certainly nobody swimming!) when I visited. You could feel the chill coming off the water and see your breath hanging in the air.

Skye’s famous light might make you work a little harder in the off season, but when it breaks through the colours are still magnificent.

Nothing bothers these guys. Their fur looks great when you catch the frost on it.

A beautiful stillness to the morning. The cloud didn’t clear for ages.

A black and white shot that helps get the depth of a view that goes for miles.

The snow-capped peaks and the quiet of low season make this well-travelled place feel incredibly wild.

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Christopher Wilson-Elmes

Sawday's Expert

Chris is our in-house copywriter, with a flair for turning rough notes and travel tales into enticing articles. Raised in a tiny Wiltshire village, he was desperate to travel and has backpacked all over the world. Closer to home, he finds himself happiest in the most remote and rural places he can find, preferably with a host of animals to speak to, some waves to be smashed about in and the promise of a good pint somewhere in his future.

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