An amateur photographer has captured this picture of a Brocken spectre while hiking in the Highlands.
Sylvan Buckley, 45, captured the rare natural spectacle from a ridge in Glencoe with Ben Nevis in the background.
The rainbow halo appears when a person stands above the surface of a cloud – on a mountain or high ground – with the sun behind them.
He said the perfect weather conditions helped create the shot.
Sylvan, from Saltcoats, North Ayrshire, said: “I’ve seen one or two Brocken spectres while walking in the hills.
“I’m still always amazed when I see them as they’re like ghostly apparitions projected down onto the mist or fog.
“Although, this was the first time I’ve seen one with such a prominent almost full halo, so it felt a little bit more special for me.
“I expected that I might see a small fogbow as the fog rose and fell, but I didn’t expect it would be quite as vivid.
“I captured the photo at around 3.30pm just before sunset.
“The photo was taken from a ridge in Glencoe, in the distance is Ben Nevis.
“The weather when I took the shot was perfect, lovely and calm and not too cold once above the temperature inversion.
“Heading up the mountain the fog started to get a little thicker and a lot colder.
“But as soon as I broke through the cloud it was like a lovely mild fresh day.
“It was perfect weather conditions for a photo.”
Follow STV News on WhatsApp
Scan the QR code on your mobile device for all the latest news from around the country
