Cuillin Hills: Hiker snaps stunning optical illusion on Isle of Skye mountain

Iain Weir was hiking in the Cuillin Hills when he saw the incredible sight.

A hiker snapped a stunning optical illusion at the peak of one of Scotland's toughest mountains - and described the Brocken bow as 'like God was on drugs'.

Iain Weir, 32, travelled to the Isle of Skye for a few days break and hiked up one of the hardest mountains in the country, Sgurr nan Gillean in the Cuillins.

Picture: Iain Weir

He was astonished to see a rainbow halo form on the summit, where his shadow was projected onto clouds opposite the sun's direction - known as a Brocken bow.

Iain, who works as a transport planner, said it was so beautiful 'it was like God was on drugs'.

He said: "I just took some time off to enjoy the good weather, I'd seen pictures on the internet but never seen it myself.

"I wasn't expecting it.

"The sun was quite high in the sky on one side of the hill, and on the other side the clouds were below the summit.

"In between the clouds and the summit, you are in between and that projects a rainbow.

"You have to be in the right place at the right time.

"It looks good in the photo but in real life it's so much better.

"It was a magical experience, I was so tired it was like you were on drugs.

"My description of it is like if God had taken too many drugs."

The photo was taken on Saturday at 3pm.

A message from the Editor:

Thank you for reading this story on our website. While I have your attention, I also have an important request to make of you.

With the coronavirus lockdown having a major impact on many of our advertisers - and consequently the revenue we receive - we are more reliant than ever on you taking out a digital subscription.

Subscribe to scotsman.com and enjoy unlimited access to Scottish news and information online and on our app. With a digital subscription, you can read more than 5 articles, see fewer ads, enjoy faster load times, and get access to exclusive newsletters and content. Visit https://www.scotsman.com/subscriptions now to sign up.

Our journalism costs money and we rely on advertising, print and digital revenues to help to support them. By supporting us, we are able to support you in providing trusted, fact-checked content for this website.