The Highlands and Islands of Scotland
September 4 - 13, 2027
Overview
The Highlands and islands of Scotland are some of the most dramatic and romantic landscapes anywhere. At its southern end are the regions of Argyll and Kintyre, and, off the coast, the wonderful island of Islay, known as the “Queen of the Hebrides.” Together they formed the heartland of the medieval Lordship of the Isles—an independent principality that combined Viking and Gaelic cultures.
Our 10-day/9-night photographic adventure explores the island of Islay and the surrounding coastline in depth, going off the beaten path to explore little known corners of the area as well as visiting the best-known monuments and viewpoints.
Every day will be filled with photographic and creative opportunities with Alan Ross at your side providing photographic know-how, experience and a light-hearted approach to honing your photographic voice. Alan’s wife, Julie, will be there to help make the experience both memorable and stress-free. Our travel partner for this adventure is the amazing Scottish Clans and Castles.
Our Trip
Our adventure begins and ends in Scotland’s capitol, Edinburgh. Our fabulous guides will pick us up at our various hotels in Edinburgh the morning of September 4th and point our comfortable 9-seater vans towards a secluded lochside hotel in the Argyll area of the Highlands. On the way, we’ll take in Inveraray, home of the Duke of Argyll and chief of Clan Campbell, as well as picturesque Kilchurn Castle and St. Conan’s church on Loch Awe. We’ll spend another day in the area, exploring the extraordinary Dark Age, medieval and neolithic monuments of Kilmartin Glen. We may also have a chance to visit a local clan chief in his castle for a personal tour and perhaps a wee dram.
From Argyll, our group will travel south for the ferry to Islay, “Queen of the Hebrides.” Along the way, we’ll stop to visit Castle Sween, Scotland’s oldest castle, and some of the fascinating medieval sculptures nearby. We find our base in the centre of Islay where we’ll stay for four nights.
During our stay on Islay, we’ll explore pretty villages like Bowmore and Port Ellen, ruined castles, ancient Celtic crosses, stunning beaches and coastline, and likely a distillery or two.
From Islay, we’ll take the ferry back to the mainland and turn south onto the peninsula of Kintyre, another key part of the old Lordship of the Isles. Today, it’s known for its whisky, lush farmland and as the occasional home to Paul McCartney! Our base is in the fishing port of Campbeltown.
Among our probable stops are Saddel Abbey with its wonderful sculptures, the pretty seaside village of Carradale, the Mull of Kintyre, Dunaverty Rock, St. Columba’s well, the standing stones at Ballochroy and the dramatic beach at Machrihanish.
We then make our way back to Edinburgh with stops at Skipness Castle, Tarbert and the ruined crofting township at Auchindrain along the way.
Details
Partners/spouses are absolutely welcome on the trip and typically join the group on all the adventures. Our itinerary is designed to be not only visually interesting, but also culturally and historically of interest, and our non-photographers have enjoyed our locations as much as the photographers.
If your preferred medium is more along the lines of paper and pencil, charcoals, or pastels rather than film or pixels, you are also welcome on this adventure. We’ve had several sketch artists join us on previous trips and while the itinerary doesn’t allow for an entire day at one location, it does allow for anywhere from an hour to several hours, which has proven to be ample time for an artist to capture the essence of the location.
Our travel partner for this adventure is the exceptional Scottish Clans and Castles, a small travel firm specializing in custom tours based on an insiders’ knowledge to create one-of-a-kind and off-the-beaten-path experiences. They have been part of our trips since 2019. If you’d like to extend your stay in Scotland, they can create a custom itinerary for you that takes into consideration any clan connections or areas of interest. The itinerary can be self-driving, or Clans and Castles can provide an expert guide/driver to transport you around to the various locations.
Pricing and Payment
Due to the small nature of most lodging in the Highlands and Islands, our group is limited to 12 participants. Price is $6,200 per person double occupancy and $6,800 per person single occupancy and is based on roughly eight solo participants and four participants sharing rooms.
A deposit of $1,500 per person is required to hold your spot. The balance is due no later than June 1, 2027 and may be made in multiple payments. If you need to cancel before June 1, $750 will be refunded. If we can fill your spot, the full deposit will be refunded. Because of the advance planning and deposits required, if the cancellation is after June 1, we will not be able to fund any of the workshop fee.
Checks, Veno, Zelle and Apple Pay are greatly appreciated to minimize fees, but payment can also be made by credit card through the website with either Shopify or PayPal.
On the unlikely chance that we need to cancel the workshop for any reason, you will be refunded the full workshop fee.
Important Note: In order to keep cost in line with previous adventures and to make it as reasonable as possible, we have priced this trip based on a full group of 12, and with a mix of double and single occupancy rooms. Please don’t book flights until we confirm that we are a “go” for the adventure.
Included
- Nine nights lodging in unique country house hotels and inns. All rooms with private bath. Please note that some rooms may be cozy and that some of these hotels may not have elevators, so you may need to take a stairway or two to get to your room. There is always someone to help with luggage.
- Ten full days of photographic adventure, instruction and support
- All location and entrance fees
- All breakfasts
- Ground transportation in comfortable 8-passenger mini-vans
- Ferries
- Local, knowledgeable and fun guides/drivers
Not Included
- Transportation to and from the Edinburgh airport to hotels
- Edinburgh hotels before our official start on September 4th and upon our return to Edinburgh on the 13th.
- Passport
- Airfare and related taxes or fees
- Meals not mentioned above
- Gratuities for guides and hotel staff
- Personal expenses, services or purchases
- Travel/cancellation insurance (highly recommended)
Other Information
- Our arrival and departure airport is Edinburgh. You should plan to arrive no later than September 3rd. Hotel suggestions will be offered upon registration.
- Our adventure finishes on September 13th in Edinburgh. Guests will have the option of traveling with our guides back to to their hotel of choice in Edinburgh, a scenic journey with great attractions along the way, or extending their tour of Scotland. Suggestions include the Isle of Skye, the Isles of Lewis and Harris or even a visit to the north coast. We are happy to advise and help with arrangements as requested.
- Bring layers of clothing and comfortable walking shoes. The weather in the Highlands is unpredictable, even in September. The chance of rain is always there, so waterproof gear for you and your camera is recommended.
- Any camera is welcome…from large format to DSLR to mirrorless to iPhone. If you want help with post processing or other image review, a laptop is recommended but not essential.
- We select a mix of locations as photo and visual opportunities while keeping open ad hoc options as they arise. To make the most of Scotland’s dramatic scenery and historic sites, some of these involve short 5 – 10-minute walks. We endeavor to make sure none of this is arduous, and guests always have the option of staying with the vans (and our drivers can sometimes make alternative excursions). Please let us know if you have mobility issues or restrictions so that we can take them into account.
- A month before departure, you’ll receive additional information to help you prepare for our adventure. From camera gear advice to packing suggestions, you’ll get lots of guidance to ensure your trip is one of learning and image making instead of problems and hassles.
Sláinte and see you in Scotland!