Glacial progress

On the south-east coast, Jökulsárlón is Iceland’s deepest lake, formed from glacier meltwater. Originally part of the Breiðamerkurjökull glacier, it developed into a lake after the glacier started receding from the edge of the Atlantic. It is now 1.5km from the sea and is constantly expanding as the glacier melts (it’s grown fourfold since the early 1970s). Here there are dozens of icebergs.

Majestic in the morning

The breathtaking mountains of the Vestrahorn peninsula on the country’s south-east coast have to be one of the most striking landscapes on our planet. At dawn, the marram grass tufts are lit with golden light, framing them against the dunes of black volcanic sand.

Reflected glory

Dominating the south-east coastline, the Vestrahorn mountains, when framed by the incoming tide, create fantastic reflections.

Domes and tones

The Tvísöngur sound sculpture on the mountainside above Seyðisfjörður. These five interconnected domes amplify sound with a resonance that corresponds to traditional Icelandic five-tone harmony.

End of the rainbow

An unusual rainbow path forms the approach to this pretty little church in the village of Seyðisfjörður.

Sheltered life

Colourful clapboard buildings and a typical whitewashed church are reflected in the chilled, sheltered waters of Seyðisfjörður on Iceland’s east coast.

Ice and lava

The black volcanic sand of Iceland’s beaches contrasts dramatically with washed up melting icebergs.

Fall spectrum

Skógafoss waterfall on the south coast. There are more than 10,000 waterfalls in Iceland but few could be prettier or more dramatic than Skógafoss when framed with a double rainbow.

Land of midges

This is Mývatn, in the north, not far from the Krafla volcano. Iceland is studded with areas of geothermal activity. This one is home to vast numbers of wildfowl attracted by the ice-free water. It’s also where some of Iceland’s largest concentrations of midges are found in summer – Mývatn translates as Lake of the Midges.

Night, stars, action …

On our final night at Stykkishólmur in the west we were treated to clear skies . The pulsing light from a nearby lighthouse punctuated the darkness but high above us a much more spectacular light show took place. Like fireworks from heaven, the dancing lights of the aurora borealis flood the sky with blue, green and purple waves. A fitting end to an extraordinary trip.• Alastair’s prize was a self-drive trip to Iceland with Discover the World, which offers a 7-night Northern Highlights trip (£1,229) and the 14-night Around Iceland tour (£2,057) excl flights

All photographs are taken by Alastair Swan.