Photographer's magical missions to capture The Cairngorms on a perfect winter's night

The only sound is that of breath on frozen air or the crunch of snow underfoot.

Skiing Into a Dream World by Ronan Dugan.

Otherwise, The Cairngorms are beautifully still as night descends, temperatures fall and the stars brighten and multiply above.

Photographer and conservationist Ronan Dugan, who lives near Aviemore, spends the long dark nights venturing into Cairngorms National Park to capture the white wilderness under the stars.

He said he wanted to make the most of lockdown nights and share the fleeting wintry beauty of the place with those unable to venture into the national park.

Mr Dugan, 30, often travels to find the perfect photograph by cross-country skis. One night he and his friend cleared snow from a frozen Loch Morlich to go ice skating. On another mission, the Northern Lights appeared.

Mr Dugan said: “We obviously have a lot more darkness than daylight at the moment and being surrounded by the ice and stars makes it feel more special being out at night.

“It was light enough some nights because of the moon and the stars that I didn’t need a head torch.

Loch Morlich Like You Have Never Seen It Before by Ronan Dugan. The photographer and his friend swept snow off the surface and went ice skating during the recent deep freeze. PIC: Ronan Dugan.

“These were some of the best winter conditions that I had experienced and I just really made the most of it.”

Mr Dugan always takes a hot flask with him during winter outings, usually full of tea, and is out for a few hours most evenings.

For the conservationist, who lives alone, the trips are the perfect antitode to lockdown – even when temperatures go 10 degrees below zero.

He said: "I believe that with lockdown, you either sink or swim.

Winter Light by Ronan Dugan.

“I knew that the conditions wouldn’t last and I wanted to be able to share them with people.

“It’s an extra challenge at night, it brings that added adventure.”

Mr Dugan works for Wildland Limited, the organisation led by Danish billionaire Ander Holch Povlsen, which aims to rewild vast areas of the Highlands over the next 200 years.

Mr Dugan said: “Around here you are spolit for choice, you have the mountains, the rivers, the lochs, the natural pine forests.

Sit Back, Relax and Enjoy The Show by Ronan Dugan, featuring a display of the Northern Lights. PIC: Ronan Dugan.

“I love capturing these images and capturing them in a way that is a little bit different.”

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