Xtreme Vogue London Desk: Judith Benjamin
Bonny Scotland doesn’t get much bonnier than this.
Scottish photographer Fiona Campbell has spent years turning her lens on the wild landscapes of her home country, resulting in a spellbinding collection of images that take you from Scotland’s rolling Highland region to its wind-whipped coast.
Which parts of this vast and varied country are her favourite to document? Campbell admits that Glencoe in the Highlands is a treasured spot, saying: ‘This area has always been a part of my life, even when I was a small child visiting Glencoe for picnics and to paddle in its beautiful lochs and streams, so today it is a place that holds many happy memories for me and where I go to unwind.’ She adds that the Isle of Skye is also high on her list of favourite places ‘due to its grandeur and dramatic landscape’.
Certain challenges come with photographing the country’s epic terrain – early starts are necessary to capture landscapes at first light, and Campbell often needs to wear double or even triple layers of clothing to endure the unforgiving weather conditions that Scotland is known for. There’s also an element of editing involved after she has secured the shot, a skill that Campbell has been working carefully to hone in the past year. Campbell says: ‘I now have a style I’m happy with. It won’t be everyone’s cup of tea, but that’s the beauty of photography – it’s a subjective art form.’
Below is a handful of pictures from Campbell’s portfolio. Prepare to see Scotland at its finest…
Glen Nevis, a glen that’s set at the foot of Ben Nevis in the Lochaber region of the Scottish Highlands, is the subject of this atmospheric, autumnal shot. Drawing attention to the tree trunk in the foreground, Campbell says: ‘Every time I pass this tree I stop to look, it’s such a quirky fella’
Mist settles on Loch Ba, a loch in the Great Moor of Rannoch in the Scottish Highlands. This serene picture was captured during a ‘beautiful’ morning
The mighty mountain of Stob Ban is painted in a magical light in this picture by Campbell. The photographer says that the peak, which is part of the Mamores ridge mountains in the Scottish Highlands, has a ‘moody’ appearance in the shot
In this stunning photograph the sun sets over the Fairy Glen, a landslip that sits above the village of Uig on the Isle of Skye. Campbell describes the beauty spot as the ‘most magical, mystical place on Skye’
This dynamic photograph, taken after a heavy spell of rainfall, shows Grey Mares Waterfall outside the Highland village of Kinlochleven
The verdant Glencoe valley is the subject of this spellbinding photograph, which is a composite of two images. Touching on the unsettled weather that’s visible in the shot, she says: ‘The weather in the Scottish Highlands is very changeable… bad weather can often be the best conditions for photography, creating imagery packed full of drama and atmosphere. Low cloud often shrouds the high mountain peaks, creating a mystical feel to the glen; the rivers and streams swell, and waterfalls cascade down the hills all adding to the magic of this location.’ She continues: ‘Glencoe isn’t a destination famed for topping up your tan and arguably, wet and gloomy conditions are when Glencoe looks at its most majestic’
The setting sun lights up the sky in this breathtaking picture of Loch Shiel in the Scottish Highlands. Recalling the evening she took this shot, Campbell says: ‘The sun dipped below the clouds for just a few moments, bathing the distant hills in a beautiful glow’
The Quiraing, a landslip on the Isle of Skye, is pictured in this awe-inspiring shot by Campbell
Light filters through the clouds in this magnificent picture of the peak of Bla Bheinn – also known as Blaven – on the Isle of Skye
Bow Fiddle Rock, a sea arch on Scotland’s north-eastern coast that is so named because it has the same shape as the tip of a fiddle bow, is beautifully captured in this shot by Campbell. It was taken at moonrise and sunset, she reveals
This dramatic photograph was captured from Elgol, a village that lies on the Strathaird peninsula on the Isle of Skye. The island’s Cuillin mountain range looms in the background
Waves crash along the shoreline of the village of Elgol in this powerful picture. Campbell notes that this is her ‘favourite place to go when there’s a storm’
A rainbow cuts over Loch Leven near the Highland village of Kinlochleven in this enchanting photograph
This mesmerising picture was taken on an afternoon spent ‘moseying around the icy shoreline’ of Loch Awe in Argyll and Bute. Across the loch are the ruins of Kilchurn Castle, a fortress that dates back to the 15th century
This other-worldly photograph shows Loch Ba in the Scottish Highlands – Campbell says she was ‘on a high’ after witnessing this stunning landscape
