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从奎雷英山口看到的 Leum na Luirginn湖和Cleat湖，英国斯凯岛 Loch Leum na Luirginn and Loch Cleat seen from the Quiraing, Isle of Skye, Scotland, UK (© Sebastian Wasek/Sime/eStock Photo)

The sliding landscape of Skye

As the sun rises on the Isle of Skye, off Scotland’s west coast, it casts a golden glow on a landscape shaped by lava flows, erosion and glacial movement. An ancient landslip here runs for nearly 20 miles, creating a labyrinth of steep slopes, hidden plateaus and dramatic rock formations.

This particular section is known as the Quiraing and it is the only bit of the landslip which is still moving, albeit by just a few centimetres a year. Among numerous striking rock formations are a 120ft pinnacle known as The Needle and The Prison, an outcrop that looks like a medieval fortress. The Quiraing’s name is derived from the Old Norse ‘Kvi Rand’ (meaning round fold) and it is said that another local landmark, an elevated grassy plateau known as The Table, was used to hide cattle from Viking raiders.

The Quiraing’s sweeping panoramas make it a favourite with photographers and walkers, while various movies including Transformers: The Last Knight and 47 Ronin have also featured scenes from this fantastical landscape.

埃热泽尔斯湖面上的波纹，拉脱维亚拉特加尔地区 Water ripples on the surface of Ežezers Lake in the Latgale region, Latvia (© Eaglewood Films/Nimia)

A day to take a moment

'A field of water betrays the spirit that is in the air. It is continually receiving new life and motion from above. It is intermediate between land and sky.' So Henry David Thoreau immortalized Walden Pond, but he could have been describing this calming image from Ežezers Lake in Latvia. Today, the birthday of that famous American advocate for pursuing a simple life is also National Simplicity Day, an annual reminder to unplug, slow down, step back, and consider your life. Thoreau's most famous work (that you probably haven't read since high school), 'Walden,' is his account of the two years, two months, and two days he spent away from society in a cabin in the woods by Walden Pond in Concord, Massachusetts. Through this work he encourages us to take a step back and look for ways to simplify our lives. 'Our life is frittered away by detail…,' Thoreau observed, 'simplify, simplify.'

This advice is as sound today as it was 165 years ago when it appeared in print. Some things you can do to mark the day are unplug from your devices (even this one—eventually); declutter your house; take a walk in the woods; and maybe even reread 'Walden.'