TIM
PARKIN
INTIMATE SCOTTISH DOORSTEP
In January of this year, my wife and I moved to the little village of Ballachulish in the Scottish
Highlands. Because we run a landscape photography magazine as part of our business, the
greater access to photographers and photographic subjects will make a big difference but
instead of diving out of the door to capture the dramatic mountain scenery or the amazing
granite gorges, even though these are only 5 minutes drive away, our first steps have been just
outside the back of the house into the forestry commission land that was planted in the 1950s.
All images in this article (c) Tim Parkin. See more at www.onlandscape.co.uk
One of the items on our bullet list of features we wanted explored the drier areas and I got my wellies on and tried to
from a house is that we can walk out of our front (or back) capture some of the glistening light on the water.
door and explore. Our previous house was in the midst of the
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East Yorkshire agricultural zone which meant although we The real beauty of this type of exploring is the chance to
were miles away from towns and villages, we couldn’t explore see how things change, to return if the weather suits, to
and the only paths near our house had been torn up by the experiment, knowing that what you don’t capture today you
local hunt. Our new property couldn’t be more different, on can come back for tomorrow. Seeing the landscape change
the edge of a village and backed by forest and mountains. day to day is a real privelege.
Last week we went a little further afield (10 minutes I realise that we are both very lucky to have the opportunity
away) and explored the area next to Loch Leven where we to live somewhere so beautiful but we both realise that the
discovered large areas of thrift that were being covered beauty is often in the details and smaller experiences you
every day by the rising tide. Alongside this rocky beach the can have on a day to day basis rather than the epic, sublime
banks were covered in fresh grasses and bracken. Charlotte views.