Scotland Photography Tour
8 Days in an Ancient Land
Eye-Blinding Yellow
When I first visited Scotland some 15 years ago, I remember vividly how rough and empty the countryside looked. And yet, everything aside from the highest peaks were so very accessible. In a landscape photography sense, this place is a diamond in the rough that goes through polishing every single autumn.
When the larches, birches and beeches turn an eye-blinding yellow, there isn't much left to the imagination. The highlands, and in particular the temperate rainforests of the North-West are truly the stuff of every outdoor photographer's dream. This is why I've returned to Scotland over and over. And I'm not the only one.
Juan Pablo de Miguel has also frequented the crown of the UK and brought back award-winning images. Together, our shared experience of the most photogenic locations is sure to provide a backbone for an unforgettable landscape photography tour to the Scottish Highlands.
Why Choose this Tour?
The Best Season in Scotland
Bright yellows and oranges dominate the Scottish landscape. Intermittent showers create colorful rainbows among desolate landscapes.
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Post-Processing Included
Do you have great compositions sitting on your hard drive, but struggle to get the most out of them? We'll show many approaches to post-processing with our award-winning moody techniques.
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You Matter to Us
Any personal guidance you need, whether it's camera settings or finding better compositions: We are here for you.
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This Tour in a Nutshell
Dates: October 6th-13th 2019
Available Seats: 1 of 3
Tour Leaders: Daniel Laan & Juan Pablo de Miguel
Language: English
Price: 3200 EURO (based on double rooms. Only shared room available.
Registration Deposit: Only full-amounts at once now.
Arrival: Edinburgh Airport, Oct 6th 2019 - no later than 11AM, or the day before (not included)
Departure: Inverness Airport, Oct 13th 2019 - no earlier than noon (12:00) local time.
Included: Two professional landscape photographer guides and all tuition. Post-processing session, all transportation between locations and airport shuttle service. Accommodation in double occupancy rooms (supplement for single occupancy).
Not Included: Flights and associated costs. Private insurances, taxes, duty and visa fees. Meals not included, nor any personal items including (alcoholic) beverages, snacks, souvenirs and travel insurance.
Booking Request
Fill out the form below and we will contact you with our payment details for making a bank transfer.
Itinerary:
Day 1 Arrival and The Hermitage / Tay Forest Park
The day is here. We meet on the 6th of October at Edinburgh airport. We depart at 12 in the afternoon, because we'll have a bit of a drive before us. You'll discover the fascinating woodland of Tay Forest Park, and its hidden gem, the Falls of Braan. We'll work with the afternoon light and as it softens, we'll try our hand at spooky forest images.
An early walk in the forest the next morning will probably set our imaginations afoot. It's quite normal that these parts are veiled in mists. So we enter the boundless forests again in the morning before heading to a completely different landscape.
Day 2 Rannoch Moor & Glen Coe
Rannoch Moor is one such place that definitely requires waterproof boots and gaiters to be comfortable. But don't let the moist grasses hold you back. We'll spend time here to teach you about controlling the light and choosing a composition among this vast wet plain.
In the late afternoon, we'll drive up to Glen Coe and shoot the Three Sisters, and the beautiful, towering Buachaille Etive Mòr mountains. We'll stay in the valley for twilight before turning in. With some luck, we might even capture a hint of the Northern Lights from here, although our chances rise with our travel northwards and onto the Isle of Skye.
Day 3 Glen Coe & Glenfinnan Viaduct (Harry Potter!)
We'll come back to Glen Coe in the morning to get close to some of the small but spectacularly beautiful waterfalls in front of Buachaille Etive Mòr. We have some free time in the afternoon that we spend on answering all of your questions about composition, atmosphere and post-processing. Let us know what you're up against and we will help you get over your personal hurdles. There are also some tame Red Deer nearby, which are very fun to visit!
In the evening, it's time to drive on a bit towards a the Glenfinnan viaduct. This place has been scene to so many movies that it's hard to keep count. Most significantly, it's the place where Harry Potter first met the wicked Dementors. We hope to create such a dark atmosphere with the fading light and some clever post-processing techniques. We will greet the incoming steam-train on the hill before we turn into bed back at Glen Coe.
Day 4 The Isle of Skye - The Fairy Pools & Black Cuillin
Today is a long drive. But damn is it worth it. Once we cross the bridge that connect the mainland and Skye, we'll have a couple of days to explore this amazingly photogenic Island that's part of the stunning Hebrides.
We will enter the valley inside the Black Cuillin that's renowned for its azure blue Fairy Pools and waterfalls. We'll spend the better part of this evening here as well. Hopefully we'll catch a starry night to complement these craggy mountains, but then we'll move into our hotel on the Trotternish peninsula where we'll enjoy soft beds for two nights.
Day 5 The Isle of Skye - Old Man of Storr & Processing Session
A visit to Skye with cameras cannot be complete without a morning hike to the Old Man of Storr. We'll depart well before dawn in order to put you in the heart of The Sanctuary of the Storr when the light is at its best. Even in clear skies this place looks like its pulled straight from a Tolkien tale. In fact, this place resembles Weather Top from the films so much, that at least some inspiration must have been pulled from this very place.
The reason that we're staying for another night in this hotel, is that we can catch additional sleep in the early afternoon when the light doesn't cooperate anyway. We want you bright and rested for today's post-processing session. We will spend time to take your images from your trip so far to the next level during a full post-processing workshop. I will show you an example and take it from start to finish, before giving everyone a chance to ask your most critical questions.
We start with with basic adjustments in Lightroom and Camera Raw and end up with handling complex blends in Photoshop. No matter your expertise, this editing session is informative and well thought-out to show you exactly what you can do to boost your images and translate your vision into practice.
Day 6 The Isle of Skye - The Quiraing
On Trotternish, you've got two separate areas of geological interest. One is the Storr we visited the day before and the other is the Quiraing. Since both face the East, it's only natural that we go here for sunrise again. With rock formations adorned with fantastical names such as The Prison and The Needle, we will have our hands full of photography in this area at least until noon.
The Quiraing, and actually the whole of Skye, is a rather austere-looking place, even for Scottish standards. It is with this realization that we pack up and prepare to leave this impressive island. We're now heading off for the central highlands where some of the most spectacular glens are brimming with autumn colour.
Day 7 Plodda Falls & Glen Affric
From the raw crevices on Skye, we've entered a very different Scotland. There's a small but verdant woodland up in the farthest reaches of the central Glens. This is where we meet Plodda Falls. The lower part of the waterfall is spectacular enough, but if we come topside on the return from our hike, there's an amazing abstract view of the autumn trees that I want you to experience for yourself.
Day 8 Sunrise and Departure at Inverness
When we depart from our last hotel together, we still have some good light ahead of us. So, on our drive to the airport of northern Scotland, we have a chance at seeing the sunrise from in between the Scottish glens.
I'm personally looking forward to showing you why Scotland has such a warm place in my heart. The landscape as well as the warmth of the people here are the reasons why I return to this place over and over again. You're going home with hundreds of photos and a host of new friends.
Payment & Reservation
Reserve a seat on the tour. For tours, we accept bank transfers that can save on transaction fees. Click the button saying “Request booking” at the top of this page.
Cancellation and refunds
Unfortunate things can happen to anyone. Therefore we handle a refund policy when you have made reservations for this tour but can’t make it in the end due to whatever the circumstance. Based on the full fee of the tour, we strictly handle this schedule to cover the costs made on our end.
Cancel 60 days before the start of the tour or more: Full refund minus € 200 service charge.
45 days or more: 75% refund
31 days or more: 50% refund
Less than 31 days: No refund
Physical requirements
Most of our destinations are easily accessible by car and on foot, but snow and ice can make any terrain treacherous and physically intense to traverse. You don’t have to be a marathon runner, but we do ask that you are in reasonable physical condition to be able to keep up with the group and deal with the cold and demanding climate of the arctic.
Please do not come on this trip when you have a heart condition, suffer from epilepsy or severe asthma or when you have a bad leg. This will hinder our ability to show you everything we have in store, but more importantly, it will jeopardize the positive experience of your fellow participants.
Indemnity Waiver
All participants are required to sign this standard document before the start of the tour. Find it here.
Daniel Laan ~ The Netherlands
Moody, ominous landscape photography is as much my passion as it is my career. For more than a decade now, I've had the mindset of developing a specific dark and moody style of photography that shows a part of myself through my images. I have a deep appreciation for the landscape, the weather and find something of beauty in trivial subjects. You could say that I have an instinct for inbound northern lights, having captured the Aurora Borealis successfully as far south as the Netherlands.
With a degree in design and visual communication and over 15 years of experience in Photoshop, it's my goal to train you to look at the landscape differently. While explaining everything from pre-visualizing to exporting for the web or for print, we uncover a truth. That the stunning landscape of Scotland, isn't there to take home with you. The most important aspect is not to bag the best locations, but to appreciate your surroundings; to become aware of things that others walk straight by.
It is with this mindset that I will make you a better artist; and that is something you can take home with you.
Juan Pablo de Miguel ~ Spain
An editorial, landscape and cityscape photographer based in Madrid, Spain, with a great collection of inspiring and versatile landscapes and BW fine-art photos, all sharing a unique style of his artistic signature.
Juan Pablo teaches photography and advanced post processing techniques all over the world while developing his own digital processing techniques.
He's using photography as a medium for inspiration and a means to understand the world. Specializing in European and American fine art landscapes, admires the works of Ansel Adams, Edward Weston, Carleton Watkins and the diversity of many he encounters, networking on the Web.
The hope is, in some small way, to instill the essence of the incredible vistas he has had the opportunity to see, within others.