Nauthúsagil, the slot gorge with the rowan tree

Nauthúsagil is a narrow gorge cut into the flank of Eyjafjöll, reached from the road that runs toward Þórsmörk. You walk in along the stream, chains bolted to the rock at two or three steps, between walls that close to a couple of metres apart and are covered in moss and ferns. At the head is a small waterfall, and a rowan tree growing improbably out of the cliff above it — the picture that people come for.

Why photographers like it: it is green, enclosed and quiet, and it looks nothing like the wide black-and-white landscapes twenty minutes away on the coast. The light is soft and directionless in the gorge, so faces sit beautifully at any hour; midday, the killer of most Icelandic sessions, is actually one of the better times here because a little sun reaches the bottom. Summer is the season — the moss is at its greenest from June to September.

Be honest with clients about the access. It is a scramble, not a walk: wet stone, chains, stepping across and sometimes into the stream, perhaps twenty minutes each way. It is not suitable for anyone unsteady on their feet, it is a bad idea in a long dress or good shoes, and after heavy rain the stream rises and the gorge should be left alone. In winter it ices and is best skipped entirely.

Getting there: the road inland from Route 1 is gravel and deteriorates the further you go; the gorge itself is before the F-road river crossings, but check road conditions and whether your vehicle and rental agreement cover the drive. There are no facilities, no shelter and patchy phone signal — go with time in hand and tell someone where you are.