Forest near the village of Invergarry, Scotland

The frosted forest. The Great Glen

Was this photo taken in a peppermint forest? This rare and delicate hoarfrost may look like a confectioner's coating, but it's just the ice that forms when the Scottish Highlands' fog mixes perfectly with a sharp cold snap.

We're in a storied section of Scotland—sort of a lowland of the Highlands—called the Great Glen. This deep valley runs 62 miles coast to coast—from a North Sea inlet on the east to Loch Linnhe on the west. The Great Glen's gentle slopes enclose fairy-tale forests like this as well as quaint villages and lochs—including nearby Invergarry and Loch Oich, respectively.