Orkney's autumn colours

As autumn takes hold in Orkney, it’s time to bid farewell to endless evenings, verdant landscapes and sparkling seas.

It seems like the blink of an eye since our clifftops were carpeted with pink swathes of thrift, giving way to the subtler shades of eyebright in late summer. Now the palette is becoming increasingly muted, both on the shoreline and in the fields, where geese fill the space left by harvests of barley, oats and silage. The drawing in of the darker months is much more pronounced here than it is in more southern latitudes, a tipping from one extreme to another.

But this is not a time to pack away the camera. Our autumnal light can be so much more interesting than the glare of summer. Here are a few of my favourite autumn images from the past few years.

Yesnaby, Orkney

This is probably one of Orkney’s most photographed spots and it takes on a very different appearance in autumn. The outward-sloping cliffs at Yesnaby demand extreme care and respect, particularly when wet.

Brough of Birsay, Orkney

It’s often tricky to capture the ‘feel’ of an autumn day. A long exposure can sometimes give a sense of being in the landscape, and the rugged coastline at the Brough of Birsay is an ideal place to capture that.

Hoy, Orkney

The colder air gives great clarity to the light. These cliffs at the Candle of the Sneuk in Hoy feel almost alive as the spray gently rises from the Atlantic.

Rousay, Orkney

In a season of gales you often appreciate moments of calm all the more intensely. This was taken with just me and the sheep on the west side of Rousay.

Dingieshowe, Orkney

Light can be so fleeting at this time of year, but magic when it illuminates a tiny patch of land or sea. I was lucky to arrive at Dingieshowe in the East Mainland just in time for this shot.

Hoy, Orkney

You have to appreciate colour where you find it at this time of year. These rowan berries are still clinging on in October, in the glen above Rackwick in Hoy.

Warebeth, Orkney

When you're taking photographs at this time of year, you have to accept you're probably going to get wet. But it's worth it for the colours that emerge from the rocks, and the movement of rain across the landscape is always fascinating. Looking towards Hoy from Warebeth is one of the best places to experience the elements.