Sun soars over cairngorms as highlanders hit the hills

Scotland's weather app shows wall-to-wall spikes of yellow sun, a sight unseen in over a month. With no such days forecast in the weeks ahead, Jane Downs and a friend seize the chance to hike to Sgòr Gaoith, the highest point on a ridge above the River Feshie.

Peak of the wind

They begin in Scots Pine forest, where dappled light filters through the canopy and the soft chuckle of the Allt Ruadh, the Red Burn, echoes through the trees. As they gain height, the trees thin but new saplings dot the once-barren landscape, a visible sign of nature's resurgence.

With rucksacks heavy with crampons and ice axes, just in case, they crunch across sugary snow patches and arrive at the saddle on the ridge. Here, the snow has melted and refrozen, forming a mosaic of ice and water in the bleached moss. The white ice echoes the snow on the higher hills beyond the ravine, while the pools reflect the vivid blue of the sky above.

Sgòr Gaoith, meaning 'Peak of the Wind', lives up to its name as a cold gust snatches Jane's hat and lodges it in a snow cornice. After calling off the dog's retrieving instinct, they revel in the stunning views from the blocky boulders on the summit, taking in the sweep of the Great Moss, Glen Einich, Braeriach, and Rothiemurchus.

Returning down, the trio is washed in sunshine and tossed by wind, their spirits brimming with light.