Bite-Size Blog Post #76 - The Pap of Glencoe

29 Jun

A Bucket List Hill

For as long as I’ve been visiting Glencoe, I’ve wanted to ascend the Pap of Glencoe, or to use its Gaelic name, Sgòrr na Cìche. At 742m it’s not a Munro, but what it lacks in height it more than makes up for in grandeur. It has a distinctive shape that can’t be missed when driving past Glencoe village, rising steeply from the shores of Loch Leven. I always imagined that the views from the summit would be spectacular.

On my most recent visit to the homeland, I decided that as long as the weather wasn’t horrendous, I would make time to climb this bucket list hill. So when an evening of relatively good weather presented itself, I jumped in the car and made the short drive to Glencoe. The route I chose provided some excellent views of the hill, increasing my excitement for what lay ahead.

I was soon out of the car and beginning my ascent of the Pap. It’s a steep walk, but one that rewards you with better and better views with every step. The final 150m of ascent are a little trickier as the path narrows, becoming less defined and increasingly rocky, but I was soon at the top admiring some of the finest views that Glencoe has to offer.

And the views did not disappoint. I could see for miles in every direction and even the summit of Ben Nevis stood clear on the horizon. With so much cloud and areas of light and shadow moving across the landscape, I immediately switched my Nikon Z8 to Deep Tone Monochrome, my favourite black and white camera profile, and began picking out compositions with my Nikkor 24-120mm f/4 lens.

My time on the summit wasn’t all about taking photographs though. I also took time to sit and admire the view, breathe in the fresh Highland air and simply relax. And, of course, enjoy a few snacks.

As I descended in the early evening light, the landscape became no less spectacular. I stopped several times to capture the view looking down Loch Linnhe, making the most of the constantly changing light.

As I arrived back at the car, I reflected on my adventure to the Pap of Glencoe. Although I had finally ticked this bucket list item off, I knew it would not be the last time I would ascend this magnificent Glencoe hill.