LUMIX Long Weekend - Eastern Highlands

Kit: LUMIX S1R, 50mm F1.4, 24-105mm F4

Accommodation: Glen Dye Cabins and cottages

Created in partnership with LUMIX UK, this is the third in a series of twelve photo sets I will be publishing in 2019. While the term ‘long weekend’ is often associated with short trips to mainland Europe, the aim of this series is to highlight the vast range of landscapes and wildlife that can be found within the UK and Ireland. 

One of the main challenges of landscape photography is accepting that, no matter how much planning and preparation you do, you are always at the mercy of the weather. I’ve been reminded of this more than once in the past few months.

Back in March, I headed off to one of the most remote parts of Scotland, only to spend the weekend battling near-constant rain and gale-force winds. In early April, I took a much-anticipated trip to the Northwest Highlands and was forced to contend with unseasonably harsh sunlight, overcast mornings and hazy evenings.

When you invest time, energy and money in creating an image, it can be frustrating when the conditions don’t line up as you’d hoped. On such occasions, I always try to tell myself not to get bogged down chasing an idea, and instead focus on enjoying the moment.

My trip to the Eastern Highlands started in much the same way. I’d originally intended to head up the coast, but the weather forced me in-land. Taking a look at the map, I realised I wasn’t far from the Balmoral Estate, and decided to build an itinerary around a hike to Loch Muick.

For the third time in the space of a month, my plans had been thwarted by the whims of the Scottish climate. I was disappointed, of course. But I’ve also come to realise that this is part of what I enjoy about photography: its unpredictability. If every element of a great image could be planned out in advance, I doubt I’d find myself compelled to pursue it in the way that I do.

In the end, I had an amazing hike around the loch and scrambled up one of the surroundings hills for a better view of Glas-allt-Shiel. To top off the weekend, I was lucky enough to spend Saturday night at the wonderful Glen Dye Cabins and Cottages, where I was treated to a preview of their latest property, Steading No 5.

I didn’t come home with the images I’d had in mind when I left Edinburgh, but sometimes things just have a way or working themselves out.