Learning to bring Skye to life through a lens: How a camera-challenged Millennial fell in love with a landscape
It is a truth universally acknowledged that I cannot take a photograph. I am blessed with many talents, most of which I can’t print, but taking a decent photograph is absolutely not one of them. I am lucky to travel to some of the nicest places in the world, but you wouldn’t be able to tell through any of the pictures I take. A five-star hotel in the Swiss Alps, a divine AirBnB in the Cotswolds, a beautiful wedding in the south of Italy. All picturesque, all glorious, until my camera lens swings around and ruins it all.
But this is the 21st century, and if something cannot be recorded accurately and beautifully for the auspices of social media, then does it even matter if you went? We can pretend that ‘being in the moment’ is a vital part of experiencing the world, but also it’s fun to gloat and show off to your friends (and enemies). Pictures are important for this process, so it seemed salient to suck up my pride and go and get help. So I went to the Isle of Skye and went for a long walk with a man called Andrew Tobin.
Andrew is a kind man who used to work in computers, but now lives on Skye and takes pictures of landscapes, of which there are plenty. He has published two books, Glas and Skye at Night, and he drives a nice car. When I meet him in the drawing room of Kinloch Lodge hotel he seems understanding of my predicament, and shows me his cameras, which are Big (Sony A7iii with 100-400mm lens), Medium (Leica Q3) and Little (Ricoh GR3x). Tomorrow, we will take on the wild west coast of Scotland, and capture it on camera.
The author (left) and Andrew.
(Image credit: James Fisher)
Kinloch Lodge is a four-star hotel on the shore of Loch na Dal on the Sleat Peninsula in southern Skye. Formerly a 17th-century hunting lodge, the property has been in the care of the Clan Macdonald for generations, and in its current form offers 18 luxurious rooms on Skye’s ‘Garden of the Isle’.
It is the very epitome of Scottish luxury. Large sofas and armchairs occupy many of the reception rooms, various oils of dour looking chieftains hang on the walls, and, in the winter, a roaring fire can be found around every corner, while the bar almost groans under the weight of a whisky selection so diverse it shatters any temptations of temperance.
The only thing more welcoming than the hotel is the staff, led by the owner Isabella MacDonald, a bubbling manifestation of hospitality itself. She is ably supported in her welcoming by general manager Danny McDermott and his team, who are ready to soothe tired souls who have spent the day being buffeted by the unpredictable Skye weather.
Kinloch Lodge on the Sleat Peninsula
(Image credit: Andrew Tobin)
(Image credit: Andrew Tobin)
It is hard to see down the viewfinder of the long-lensed Sony camera because the rain is coming from all directions. Somewhere in the distance is Ornsay Lighthouse, or at least it was, until the fog rolled in. Andrew was very clear that, on Skye, you will experience all four seasons in one day. The season we have started with appears to be winter, as we are lashed by the heavens.
Ornsay is the first stop on our photographic tour of the island. Here, we trek across mud to a spot that is well known to Andrew, and without me doing too much, the lighthouse is framed by the Knoydart Peninsula. Andrew discusses the importance of framing, of light exposure, shutter speeds, and depths of field, lining everything up and then presenting me with the camera, so that I can A) see the practical effects of what he’s talking about and B) take the shot. The clouds are coming rapidly, but Andrew and I grab a few snaps, and stare at our work. It is astoundingly dramatic, in the way that only Scotland can be. I am pleased.
(Image credit: James Fisher)
Activities are very much in fashion at top-end hotels, and Kinloch is no different. In this wild west, there is already plenty to do and see. Kinloch offers fishing, foraging, stalking and wildlife walks. In my short time at the hotel, I joined Stewart Dawber for a walk around the grounds. Within minutes, we hear the cries of gulls and curlew, and above us a golden eagle swings overhead, before disappearing behind the hill to the back of the hotel. In the loch, a seal bobs its head above the water every now and then. Our goal is to spot a wild otter — we are only a few miles away from Gavin Maxwell’s Camusfearna — but they are being shy. Stewart is apologetic, but he need not be, as it’s not every day you get to see Britain’s rarest bird of prey in its natural habitat.
A close-up of a damp cow.
(Image credit: James Fisher)
The rooms at Kinloch are the perfect place to rest after a long day of hunting landscapes. Spacious and inviting to the extreme, Isabella has also resisted the contemporary trend of bland and uninspiring furnishings, with each room instead feeling like it belongs in a family home, because in a way, they do. Antiques abound, elevated by colourful patterned wallpapers, and all finished off with sublime views of the surrounding landscape. It feels very ‘lodge-like’; a place of familial warmth and refuge from the elements.
Breakfast is large and hearty, and the Sunday roast is legendary, with praise coming from everyone I meet on the island, all of whom seem jealous that I have secured one of the rare reservations available. Head chef David Cameron is an elite talent, but where he really shows off is with the fabulous dinner service, which impresses with not only its breadth, but also its commitment to using the most local of ingredients. The seafood is literally delivered on the beach, venison is harvested on the north of the island, and herbs are grown on-site. The furthest an ingredient travels is the black pudding from Stornoway, but you wouldn’t want it from anywhere else. In David’s hands, these ingredients come together in a culinary experience that is of international standard, but always remains firmly rooted to Skye itself.
Rain turns to sunshine turns to hail and then back to sunshine. There is something special about the light on Skye, especially in Autumn. Andrew and I proceed around the island, stopping at a beach, a rocky outcrop, an abandoned church and a waterfall. Each time, Andrew lets slip the leash of instruction a little more, so before long I am finding my own shots, my own settings, my own pictures. Together, we slowly create art.
(Image credit: James Fisher)
I thought I was unsaveable, but soon I am confident in my ability to preserve what my eyes are seeing for posterity. It’s little things — removing foreground clutter, positioning yourself better, waiting for the light to be just so — but together they all add up.
Skye itself is a willing subject. This island has long been a source of inspiration for writers, poets, painters and photographers. We’re joined on our journey by Peter McDermott, a watercolourist who exhibits at his Aird Old Church Gallery, who, like Andrew, was enraptured by the landscape and tries to re-create it, albeit in a different medium. Whether it’s photography or paints, engaging with the natural world creatively sharpens the mind and improves the experience. Instead of moving through the wilderness, you are forced to stop and analyse it, and bits of beauty that you would have otherwise overlooked are suddenly revealed.
(Image credit: James Fisher)
Soon we are back at Kinloch, where Andrew is ready to go through the day’s work. We analyse my photographs, discussing what I got right and what I could improve upon, huddled near a cosy fire and with a dram of single malt never far away. Andrew does a light bit of touching up work and then the day is done. Perhaps Andrew has given me the photography bug, as I soon find myself browsing cameras on Ebay.
What I have certainly fallen in love with is the island itself, a rugged and prehistoric landscape that is equal parts beauty and brutality. Perhaps I didn’t need a good camera and the comfort of Kinloch Lodge to discover it, but the combination certainly made the first date unforgettable — and I’ve been the envy of Instagram ever since.
A two-night stay at Kinloch Lodge with a day of photography with Andrew Tobin is priced at £1,850 for two people.
A rainbow breaks over the Torrin pools and waterfalls.
(Image credit: James Fisher)
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