Photographing Scotland’s most beautiful spots
As a professional photographer for decades, I can’t think of many places that offer as many great photo locations as Scotland.
Scotland offers fantastic castles, gritty city scenes, and unbelievable natural beauty of the Highlands and the Isle of Skye.
Since I carry way too much photo gear for my corporate photography work, I try to take only what I need on trips. For this trip, I took the following camera gear:
I probably could have brought a 70-200 lens also, but I didn’t want to carry the weight. Plus, the R5 camera sensor is so large you can crop photos a lot.
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Sun setting on Edinburgh Castle
The late afternoon sun on Edinburgh Castle.
Everyone who comes to Edinburgh photographs Edinburgh Castle, so how do you capture it a little differently?
The aspect of the castle I found most unique was how high it was, looming over the city. We stayed in the New City and saw the castle every day from the appropriately named Castle Street.
From Castle Street, you could really see how high the castle is. So the only thing missing was some great late afternoon light. Since Scotland is so cloudy, we didn’t have too many blue skies, but one afternoon everything came together.
Gear used - Canon R5 and Canon 24-105mm f4
If you are planning a visit to Edinburgh Castle, you might be interested in our post: Is Edinburgh Castle Worth Visiting? Our Honest Review
Rainbow on Isle of Skye
A rainbow over Loch Ainort, Isle of Skye, Scotland
Scotland teaches you very quickly that Mother Nature is in charge.
On our one full day on the Isle of Skye, I planned on many epic photos.
Unfortunately, it rained sideways most of the day. But we did get a brief break, and that’s when we spotted this rainbow over Loch Ainort. Luckily, there was a gravel patch on the side of the road, so I immediately pulled over.
I shot on the Canon R5, and Debbie shot on her iPhone. At first I was using the 15-35mm lens to capture the full scope of the rainbow, but later I noticed the small house across the loch. So I put the 24-105mm on the camera for a more telephoto view (photo below).
I think I like the wider photo better, but it was fun to be able to capture two pretty good photos at one stop.
If you want to read more of our battles with the Isle of Skye weather and the lessons it taught, here is our post: One Rainy Day on the Isle of Skye (and Why We Loved It Anyway)
A different version of the Isle of Skye rainbow
The Kelpies appear from the landscape: 100-foot horse statues
Using a wide angle lens to capture flowers in front of the Kelpies
The Kelpies, 100-foot horse sculptures, are a great stop right outside. If you are going to Sterling Castle or the Highlands, they are worth an hour visit.
I tried to capture the scale by getting down low and framing the sculpture with flowers in the foreground.
On the way back to the car, I used the 24-105 lens at 105mm to capture the sculptures rising from the grass field. I thought the heads in a plain grass field were odd-looking. I’m not sure which one I like better. Which one do you prefer? Let me know in the comments.
Striking light in Glencoe
I was so looking forward to our drive from Edinburgh to Glencoe. The drive along Route 82 in Glencoe is widely considered one of the most beautiful in Scotland. We were lucky to get nice weather too.
In the photo below, I was able to play with the light and the big puffy clouds. At one point, the light struck the green fields in the background. The wind was blowing the clouds quickly, but the green in the background made this one stand out.
You can read more about our drive: Edinburgh to Glencoe: Scotland's Most Scenic Drive
Cloudy day photos at Balmoral Castle
A wide angle lens emphasized the clouds over Balmoral Castle.
We were fascinated by Balmoral Castle, so we stayed until closing time. It was fun to look around and see nobody else there but us.
At the same time, there were ominous clouds over Balmoral. I used the wide-angle end of my 15-35mm lens to emphasize the crazy clouds.
Below is a shot from earlier in the day. Just like the Kelpies photos above, I used the flowers as a point of interest in the foreground. The flowers also served as a way to hide people walking around.
You can read more about Balmoral here: Visiting Balmoral Castle, what to see, and is it worth it
Using the iPhone to blur water
A rainy and windy day at Sligachan Old Bridge on the Isle of Skye.
When we reached the Sligachan Old Bridge, the rain was coming at us sideways, and the wind was raging. We walked from the parking lot over to the bridge, and I realized that I had left my neutral density filter in the car. A neutral density filter is like sunglasses for your lens. It allows you to shoot with very long exposures and blur the rapidly moving waters.
So I used my iPhone instead. There is a trick that allows you to blur the water on an iPhone. Put Live View on first. Then, after you take the photo, select “Long Exposure” from the “Live” pulldown on the upper left. It will stitch together a number of photos and give you the “long exposure effect”.
High Above Victoria Street
Looking down on Victoria Street in Edinburgh.
We had an early start to the day when we visited Edinburgh Castle. We ate breakfast at The Hideout Cafe and, conveniently for us, Victoria Terrace was just a few steps away. Victoria Terrace looks down on the famous Victoria Street.
So always keep an eye out for a high angle to make a shot look more interesting.
Finding a great angle at Dean Village
The photogenic Dean Village was a short walk from our Edinburgh hotel.
Some of the classic techniques used by artists centuries ago still work perfectly today. Diminishing lines of the buildings on the left and right lead you through the photo.
Dean Village in Edinburgh was a perfect spot to use leading or diminishing lines in combination with the water to make a nice composition.
Finding frames at Glamis Castle
The gardens at Glamis Castle are beautiful, but if you can find an interesting foreground element, the photo is even better.
I found this beautiful window looking out on the Italian garden. In Lightroom, I opened up the shadows in the foreground. It’s remarkable how much of the dark wall you can recover in post-processing.
If you are interested in visiting Glamis Castle, here is our post: Visiting Glamis Castle: Our Complete Guide
All the techniques we discussed here, using foreground elements, waiting for interesting light, shooting from up high, putting your camera very low, and blurring water, can be done with any camera.
I hope you can use some of these on your next trip.
You can read more of our travel photography blog posts here.
About the Authors
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John and Debbie O'Boyle are the team behind The Empty Nest Explorers. John is a professional photographer whose work has been published by The New York Times, NBC News, and Getty Images. He is a member of the American Society of Media Photographers, has been part of a Pulitzer Prize-winning team, and has received two New York Emmy nominations. Debbie is a writer and photographer with 30+ years of experience, formerly with The Star-Ledger and NJ.com. Together, they create in-depth travel guides for couples and empty-nest travelers who want to make the most of every destination. |
Some well-reviewed Scotland activities:
Other Scotland travel blog posts:
I've photographed a lot of places over the years, and Scotland is hard to beat.
These are our favorite spots, plus tips you can use on any camera.