Buy Scottish landscape prints and cards
Prints of beautiful landscapes from around Scotland are available to buy through the Photography Scotland Website
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Portobello beach, Edinburgh
Portobello beach, Edinburgh
I love wandering along Portobello beach. It’s only a short trip from Edinburgh city centre to get to the coast. Despite that, it sometimes feels as if you’ve travelled miles to a distant holiday destination. And it does look particularly beautiful when the sun is out and the sky is blue.
I’ve learnt to always take my camera along when I’m heading down to Porty – there’s often an unexpected photo moment to be had somewhere along the shore!
Besides the beach itself, there’s a variety of events happening during the year on Portobello beach. The promenade is part of the Edinburgh marathon route in May. In August, the Big Beach Busk hits the shore, with hoards of musicians, singers, poets and more, taking to the prom in a festive day of music and fun. And there’s the regatta in July. Row Porty is part of the Portobello sailing and kayaking club, and is based on the shore. Members can often be seen training out on the sea in their distinctive self-built turquoise rowing skiffs.
And if you’re heading down that way, it’s well worth dropping in to the Beach House cafe on Portobello prom. It has recently reopened after a big refurbishment, and is twice as big. Just remember to keep me a seat!
This photo is one of a selection of Edinburgh prints available to buy from the Photography Scotland website shop.
Buy Scottish traditional music photos
Buy Scottish traditional music photos
I’ve been taking traditional music photos at a wide range of events for a number of years. One thing that has become evident to me is that there’s a large number of individuals and small organisations putting on events across the country. Many don’t have easy access to good quality photos for publicising those events. I’m now in the process of putting together a library of digital images, which are available to buy at a reasonable price. Any of these images can be used for the purpose of promoting Scotland and Scottish culture.
I’ll be adding to the photo library over time, with pictures of ceilidhs, song and music workshops, step dancing, pub sessions, gigs and concerts, as well as a wide variety of traditional musical instruments and musicians.
If you are organising, or know of an event where I would be able to take photos to add to the library, please get in touch.
The full collection of Scottish traditional music photos are available to view on the Photography Scotland website shop pages.
Creative workshops on Lismore
Creative workshops on the island of Lismore
Next month I’ll be taking part in a weekend of creative workshops organised by Mairi Campbell. Mairi has created a programme to inspire, with opportunities to get involved in photography, song, poetry or working with textiles.
Mairi has been running hugely popular fiddle workshops based in Carnie cottage for a number of years. The mix of learning, music, a friendly welcome into the local community, and the beautiful surroundings of Lismore, has lured many people away for a refreshing and creative break. The newly built studio space beside the cottage has opened up possibilities for running a programme of events over a weekend.
‘Sing, Write and Make Merry’, running from 9th – 13th May, is going to be a fantastic start to what I’m sure will be many memorable events. There will be time to explore the magical island surroundings, and a chance to make new connections at an informal and sociable house ceilidh on the Saturday evening. And there’s bound to be music!
As well as my photography workshops, Mairi Campbell, inspirational singer, fiddle and viola player, will be running song workshops based in the new studio at Carnie Cottage. Sarah Campbell of Mogwaii design, who lives on Lismore island, will be using the local environment to inspire her textile workshops. There will also be a chance to join Jayne Wilding, poet, writer and teacher, in her writing workshops based in the local heritage centre.
Places for the weekend can be booked online on the Lismore Music Retreat website
Bedroom tax protest
Bedroom tax protest in Edinburgh
Today saw people taking to the streets in protest against the so called ‘Bedroom tax’. In Edinburgh. After assembling at St Andrews Square, the crowd of over 1000 marched to the Scottish Parliament building.
Spring snow in Princes Street, Edinburgh
Snow in Princes Street
There’s been plenty of snow in Scotland this spring. After the warm spring of 2012, it’s been bit of a surprise to find that we have snow lying as we head into Easter weekend. I can’t remember when that last happened!
But it does make the city look pretty so I’ve been out and about with my camera again.
Woods in Stirlingshire
Woods in Stirlingshire
A couple of weeks ago I went on an impromptu short jaunt to Craigieburn woods in Stirlingshire with a couple of friends. The woods are near Bannockburn, not far from the M9. It’s a wonderful area of mixed deciduous woodland, on a hill overlooking Stirling to the north. It’s a fairly small area of woodland, which has recently been split into several plots for individual private sale.
It was a beautiful sunny February day – perfect for meandering through the trees with my camera. The light was beautiful, filtering through the trees!
This woodland photo is available to buy as a print through the website shop.
Bike under the moonlight
Bike under the moonlight
Last night was a full moon, and clear skies – perfect for some photography in the moonlight. So I headed out on my bike to take some photos. My original plan was to take some shots of Edinburgh castle with the moon overhead. Timing wasn’t great or that shot, though, as the moon was still too far over to the east for a good composition. It was cold enough that I didn’t fancy hanging around to wait for it to move to the right place!
So instead I cycled up onto Calton Hill. I immediately realised that the trees beside the folly were going to make for some interesting silhouette shots. I took a couple of those, before deciding to get down a bit lower to the ground, and add my bike into the shot.
Here’s the result:
Rocks on the shore on Iona
Rocks on the shore on Iona
We had a fantastic trip to Iona at the end of a recent trip to Mull. After torrential rain and floods during the week, and another bout of heavy snow on the mainland, Friday’s forecast looked hopeful, so we took off for the day, and caught the early ferry cross from Fionnphort. We were treated to a day of spring sunshine. It was wonderful to feel a bit of heat in the sun.
We walked around some of the island’s coastline, from the beach at the north end, to Camas Cuil an t-Saimh (the Bay at the Back of the Ocean) which is a huge beach on the west side of Iona. I loved the variety in the shoreline of each beach. The reds in this gneiss created another excuse for a photo!
The Scottish parliament building
The Scottish parliament building
The Scottish parliament building has caused a fair amount of controversy since its design by Eric Miralles was first announced.The choice of a non-Scots architect, the design itself, and the delays and spiraling costs of the building kept many journalists busy for several years.
Construction of the building started in the summer of 1999. After several increases in the building costs, and after a three year delay, it was finally ready for the first parliamentary debate in September 2004. The building was formally opened on 9 October 2004.
Despite the mounting controversy while it was being completed, the building has received numerous architectural awards. These include the Stirling Prize, the Edinburgh Architecture Association ‘Centenary Medal’ and the Scottish Design Awards ‘Best Publicly Funded Building’.
It’s certainly an unusual building, and worth a visit if you are in Edinburgh. Free tours can be arranged through Visit Scotland.
This photo shows the ‘think pods’ on the west side of the building. These little window areas are each part of MSP’s offices, and were designed to create a small space for MSPs to sit and think.
If you go to visit the Scottish parliament building, I’d love to know what you think of it!
Snow on Ben More
Snow on Ben More, Mull
Ben More on the island of Mull is the only island Munro outside of Skye. Ben More lies between Loch na Keal to the north, and Loch Scridain to the south. The mountain’s summit is formed where three ridges meet.
Ben More is a popular hill for hillwalkers. There are stunning views from the summit, which is 3169 feet above the lochs. On a clear day it’s possible to see out to Coll and Tiree to the west, and Morvern and Ardnamurchan to the north.
The commonest route for walkers to take is from the north side, starting out at Loch Na Keal, and taking the track which passes by Dhiseig, a house on the northern slopes of the mountain. Since the route starts from sea level, it takes several hours to climb the hill to the top and back.
I love the winter colours on Mull. There’s been some dramatic winter storms recently, with snow then heavy rain in the middle of the week. There’s often a cap of snow on the summit of Ben More at this time of year. This photo was taken from the south side, by Advergnish farmhouse near Pennyghael.
