31/08/2026
The Highlands have their own palette.
From above, Iceland’s interior can look almost unreal lakes shifting from deep blue to turquoise and green, surrounded by black volcanic earth, pale mineral deposits and patches of moss.
Those colours are not created by one thing. Water depth changes the way light is absorbed and reflected, while fine volcanic or glacial particles can scatter light and give some lakes their intense turquoise tones. In shallower areas, the colour of the lake bed becomes visible, adding greens, browns and even almost golden shades.
The surrounding land tells another part of the story. Volcanic ash, lava, erosion and mineral-rich soils create layers of grey, black, ochre, red and yellow, while moss slowly covers the areas where life manages to take hold.
And because every lake has a slightly different depth, sediment, geology and source of water, two lakes sitting only a few hundred metres apart can look completely different. The Icelandic Highlands are geology, water and light constantly painting the landscape and from the air, you can finally see the whole canvas.