View from the entrance to Quiraing, Isle of Skye, looking down towards the "Needle Rock"

Photograph of the 'Needle Rock' taken from the entrance to the Quiraing. A jagged rock stands between two sharply rising escarpments on either side.

The Quiraing is situated on the summit at Trotternish on the Isle of Skye and is formed by a series of landslips, some of which are still moving. The Needle Rock is formed from one of the landslips and stands at 120 feet high. Wilson probably took this photograph as part of his tour of the western isles of Scotland in the autumn of 1860 or 1861. The autumn months offered Wilson atmospheric clarity and was the time of year that he preferred to photograph the landscape. Due to the instability of the albumen process, this photograph was copied into carbon in later years to ensure the print's longevity. This photograph is a copy made in carbon which is a process that is less susceptible to light damage. It is used in place of the original albumen photograph.