Arran 2022
The story of my first trip to Scotland, something I have been dreaming of for a long time. Being of Scottish heritage which was actively encouraged by a proud father, it has been a country I have always wanted to visit. Photographers long to capture the wilderness of the Highlands and Islands, the sense of remoteness that the Scottish landscapes have to offer. This is how my first trip went.
The Land
Although the Isle of Arran isn’t quite the highlands geographically, it has been nick-named by many as ‘Scotland in Miniature’, due to its unique geological and climatic features. The island is divided into a ‘highland’ and ‘lowland’, with the main settlements located in the southern, gentle lowlands and the contrasting northern highlands appearing wild and rugged. The sharp granite peaks of the highland are impressive, worth exploring by foot, bike or rock climbing, where journeys are often started from the beaches of Brodick or Lochranza, the two larger villages of the northern part of the island. Goatfell is the highest peak, at 874m it offers a panoramic viewpoint to appreciate the geomorphology of the whole island.
What surprised me was the vast amount of water that flowed down from the mountains in the north, cutting and carving away at the valleys. Water has shaped the island continuously since it was formed, hundreds of thousands of years ago. Glaciers also had a fundamental part in shaping Arran's beautiful valleys.
The Story
My first visit to Scotland started after a chaotic summer season back at home, working in my families hotel. We, myself and my girlfriend Flo, escaped as soon as the season was over, with one stop overnight in Cambridge, we immediately drove up to Scotland, spending the night in the car as we waited to catch the ferry early the following morning. We woke up with the sun, ready to catch our 6am ferry from Ardrossan to Brodick. Whilst waiting to board, the sunrise lit up the island and the outline of the Benn far behind on the mainland. It was very much the perfect start.
As we approached Arran and the village of Brodick the sun was rising behind us highlighting the beautiful landscape of the island. Only when we touched land I actually realised we were finally in Scotland.
After a little food shop in Brodick, we drive South, to our little campsite in Kildonan. The view from our tent is astonishing. With the campsite right on the coast and our tent positioned at the bottom of the campsite, nothing besides an old Ford Transit lies between us and the isles of Pladda and Ailsa Craig.
Once we are settled in, we immediately start exploring the surroundings. As Flo has been to the isle before, she knows that seals like to chill not far West from where we are. Coming from the Alps, seals are not an animal I often see. I was very exited. Although tired form the early morning we had and the rough sleep in the car, we start our long walk on the beach to go and see some seals.
They did not disappoint. As we got there, tens of seals were relaxing in the sun, ready to be photographed.
The rest of our journey only got better and better. With only one day of rain, we had the chance to explore the mountains, climbed up Goatfell and descended down through the wide valley of Glenn Rosa. The walk gave us the opportunity to see the isle from a very different perspective and unveiled the mountainous soul of the isle.
As whisky is part of the history and culture of Arran, we also visited both distilleries on the isle. Lochranza in the North, crafters of the Arran whisky and currently expanding, was the first legal distillery on the isle after the making of the 'acquavitae' was made illegal. Lagg, in the south is the new distillery, positioned not far from a historic distillery, is going to produce its first bottles in 2022.
I doubt my gallery will do justice to the astonishing and unique beauty of the Isle of Arran, but I’ve given it my best shot, and I hope you can appreciate ‘Scotland in Miniature’ through this collection.
