Talisker Bay is located on the west coast of Skye on the Minginish peninsula, west of Carbost. There is a small sandy beach at the bay and a number of dark rocks strewn about the beach. This means the sand is a mixture of light and dark grains which mix together to form a multitude of striated patterns which change with every tide. As the bay faces west, it is a good location for evening photography, however it is a little out of the way for access and requires a short walk to reach, so our only two visits have both been during the daytime.
Location and Parking
Post Code: IV47 8SF
Talisker Bay is reached by taking the A863 west from Sligachan and after 5 miles turning left onto the B8009 just before Drynoch, signposted to Carbost and Loch Eynort. After two miles, on reaching Carbost, turn left up a minor road signposted Talisker. After just over a mile, the road splits, with the left fork going to Loach Eynort and the right to Talisker. Continue on the Talisker road for three miles to the end of the road at Talisker Farm. There is space to park a few cars here. To reach the beach, continue along the track past Talisker House and the beach is reached in a little less than a mile.
Talisker Beach
The bay is enclosed by two cliff headlands, but is too wide to fit both into the same shot. Talisker waterfall cascades over the right hand cliff face, but in the image below was being blown upwards by strong winds! When it falls to the bottom the drop is almost 100m, but during dry weather it may not flow at all.
Talisker Bay
To the left, south side of the bay, there is a small offshore stack. Numerous black rocks add interest to the beach even under overcast conditions, contrasting with the lighter sands.
Walking The Dog
When the sky is overcast, darker mono shots often work best.
Talisker Bay Mono
As on any beach, a few rocks can make for interesting long exposures as the waves swirl about. However due to the black and white sands, the interesting patterns remain even when the tide is out.
Incoming Waves At Talisker Bay
Talisker Bay
Looking back up the beach, and the 300m cliff face of Preshal More is prominent. This is a spur from the higher hill Stockval. This cliff face is particularly evident during the walk back from the beach towards Talisker House.
Sand Patterns At Talisker Bay
Talisker Bay Path And Preshal More
The Cuillin From Talisker Road
From the road between Carbost and Talisker Bay, there is an excellent view of the full length of the Cuillin Ridge. This is most apparent on the return journey, and is well worth a stop. A stitched panorama is required to capture the full ridge, and on this occasion a mono treatment worked best.
The Cuillin Ridge