I am claiming to have the best job in the world, sharing my love for Scotland with my amazing customers, who come from all over the world with different ideas of what Scotland means to them. It is always interesting and I always learn something new about poeple but also about Scotland.
If you are looking to visit Scotland find some inspiration from the images I managed to capture throughout my 2023 season travelling.
I live at the shores of the river Tay in January days are way too short so I managed to capture an early sunset at about 3.30 pm.
I also managed to visit Kinkel Byre, which not only operates as a wedding and party venue but it is also engaged in rewilding, below you see one of their Highland cows, who assist in grazing down weeds.
The snow drop season does begin in January but the image below was taken in early Fabruary. Just outside of St Andrews in Kingsbarns you can visit Cambo House if you do so in January you experience a great vaierty of snowdrops.
In March the University of St Andrews hired me to assist with one of the their local expeditions and beside other attractions we visited this lovely Cairn.
April got considerably busier and below you find a sunset in Broadford, daffodils in the sunshine, Loch Ba in Corrour, St Andrews at dawn and another sunset over the river Tay.
In Scotland spring starts white with snowdrops, followed by yellow daffodils and concludes with the gorgeous blue bells in May.
May brought more guests and more adventures and naturally more nature exitements too. Below we have a close up of a blue bell, some fake standing stones (by an Outlander lover) at Invermoriston, woodlands with and without blue bells and yet another gorgeous sunrise at Nairn beach.
June took me to Dura Den water falls, some nice lunches at St Andrews Link’s Clubhouse, the old course, Pittenweem mill, Doune Castle (famous in Outland but also Monty Python’s Flying Circus) and the McManus gallery in Dundee. I started my annual outdoor swimming and reading my friend’s (Rebecca Gibson’s) book on the North East. In July I followed her guidance throughout Aberdeen.
Linlithgow Palace, historically famous as Queen Mary of the Scots birthplace but also admired in Outlander wheras modern Scotland presents you with the Kelpies and the Falkirk Wheel, which joins up the Union and the Caledonian Canal.
Culross palace as well as Midhope Castle feature in Outlander.
I had lunch with some guests at Gleneagles hotel and whisky afinados lead me ot Tullibardine, Oban and Dalwhinnie and also Tarbert.
August showed off with some amazing summer shots of thistles. I was lucky to stay at Ardeonaig Hotel on the east side of Loch Tay, which is gorgerously remote.
The Highland Folk Museum in Newtonmore is always worth a visit.
The Pictish fort of Burghead is intriguing if you are interested in the Picts but also because it simply is a stunning location where you may spot some dolphines.
Fittie is an old fishing village in Aberdeen. Aberdeen is often neclected, mostly known for the oil industry, besides this it holds many secret historic spots, such a Bridge of Balgownie.
Glamis castle is where late Queen Elisabeth’s mother grow up and which aledgely inspired Shakespeare to write about MacBeth. In the grounds you will find wooden sculptures relating to the play.
St Andrews Castle is in a prestine location and tells a good part of Scotland’s reformation story though its orgins date much further back. Sadly, it is a ruin.
If you travel to Aberfeldy in Perthsire I highly recommend a visit at Errichel for a lovely lunch and a cuddle with their Highland pony stallions and if you are so intrigued it offers itself to the outdoor enthusiast with amble options to mountain/e-bike and kayak on the wild river Tay.
September contained numerous cruiship days tours and again some longer tours and took me twice to Arran, once to Skye and Islay. I adore whisky so Islay is one of my favourite places.
The images however begin with Drummond Castle, situated in Perthshire and closely linked (by clan) to another of my favourite places, Innerpefferay Library.
The first sunset it was photographed from the ferry returning to the mainland from beautiful Arran and the stunning morning sun over the Atlantic was taken from Arran.
Pladda lighthouse on the Holy Island, which is owned by Buddist monks and well worth a visit follows.
Bowmore on Islay is the next location for a romantic sunset and Islay of course always invites to a wee dram of uisge beath (Gaelic for whisky), which brings us straight to Laphroaig on a malting day. It this case make sure sure Laphroaig is peaty enough for its reputation.
Port Ellen on Islay sports the only blue postbox to my knowledge in any case and the new/old Port Ellen whisky distillery, which is eagerly anticipated to open in February 2024.
Kilnaughton beach (and lighthouse) is one of my favourite place for some wild swimming and so it Laphroaig bay if you get such a gorgeous Indian summer day.
Machir Hotel is the most famous hotel in Islay next to the airport (which does not really contribute to too much noise pollution) and offers some amazing golf experiences if you love the sport Scotland is most famous for -apart from Shinty in Kingussie.
Finlaggan as former seat of the Lordship of Isles is an intriguing place to explore on Islay, where Lagavulin whisky distillery\ and beach should not be missed. Oban is certainly blessed with a nice whisky distillery but so is the tiny island of Raasay, which is is a relative new venture but already with tasty results.
Oban also host the Perle Hotel, Dunollie castle but also some quirky accommodation at the Soroba bothy which I highly recommend. Raasay’s views towards the Isle of Skye concludes my take on September.
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