The lighthouse clifftop

The upper plateau is reached by a short, steep and rough track that climbs from the junction — a high-clearance or 4×4 car is the sensible choice, and the road closes in bad weather and sometimes during the nesting season. At the top, a squat white lighthouse stands on the highest point of the promontory, with the sea arch directly below on the seaward side and, on a clear day, the Mýrdalsjökull ice cap on the horizon behind.

The lighthouse gives what the rest of the south coast lacks: a built structure to anchor a frame. Shoot it against open sky from below for a graphic silhouette, or use it small in the corner with the couple on the cliff edge — well back from it — for scale. Sunset from up here covers the arch, the beach and the stacks in one sweep.

This is the windiest point of a windy headland; gusts here can knock a person off balance, and the cliff is undercut. Nobody works near the lip, and a veil or a long dress needs a hand and a plan. Check both the road status and the current nesting closure before building a session around this level.