There's a timeless beauty about Scotland. Photographer Richard Gaston roams the country's rugged mountains, beautiful lochs, amazing coastal scenes, and quaint villages to capture its majestic splendor. These are his favorite views in Scotland.
Less"Let’s start my tour of Scotland with my most-visited mountain. Beinn Alligin is such a stunning place. There are multiple layers of other the Torrid hills around it, including the Beinn Eighe and Beinn Dearg. The entire Torridon area is my favorite part of Scotland. The viewpoint from the second summit of Beinn Alligin is amazing at sunset because the sun illuminates the iconic pinnacles in summer. Figuring out where the light is going to be when is a big part of my photography strategy."
"This mountain is referred to as having the best viewpoint in Scotland. It takes a good, meandering hike to get there with no major highlights, but when you get to the summit you'll enjoy this very dramatic view of the Fisherfield forest. It's regarded as the remotest area in Scotland. A very iconic spot. This is a great place for sunset photography because of the light coming from the west illuminating the Fisherfield mountains."
"This is supposedly the most remote munro [mountain with height over 3,000 feet] in Scotland. One of the best and very unique viewpoints I've seen. There are multiple ways to get to the summit, including an iconic trail called the Fisherfield Six. The best view is to look west to Torridon, which looks amazing from here, especially when you look down you see lots of buttresses that create a really dramatic visual, or looking to the Atlantic Ocean over Fionn Loch is rather incredible.”
“Many of Scotland’s best places are remote and not easy to access. Glencoul is a spot like that and this is my favourite corner of Scotland. You get the quintessential Scottish image here with a perfect view of Glencoul bothy [a mountain shelter] and the highest waterfall in the UK, Eas a' Chual Aluinn. When I was photographing here it was stormy, but a ray of light came through the clouds illuminating only the bothy and the waterfall. It's one of my personal favorite images I've taken."
"Get ready to see some incredible sea stacks here. They are a collection of big rock formations that protrude from the ocean. You can do great sunset photography here. I love how the sun illuminates the rock formations orange as the deep blue water surrounding the stacks crash against the rugged coast. I'm really happy with the photography I've done there. It's a really chill place to hang out and sit with my tripod and a cup of tea from my thermal."
“The Fiddler is a mountain in a very rugged part of Scotland. You have a lot of moorlands that are flat and then you have these mountains that protrude in very random places. Geologically it's a fascinating place. You will find some of the oldest rock formations in the world here. It really makes for stunning photography. There are also lochs everywhere, tiny little ones called lochans. When you're at a higher level, you can see all this landscape detail combined and it's pretty incredible.”
"In the Cairngorms, in eastern Scotland, you'll find vast plateaus, rolling hills, and lakes. I've been to the area to document seasonal change and photograph the landscape. Loch Muick is south of the river Dee, it's an area that's referred to as Royal Deeside as it's owned by Queen Victoria's consort Prince Albert. Their estate also includes the Glas-allt-Shiel bothy that faces Loch Muick and is secured by a forest. The photographic effect is dramatic. It almost looks like a drone shot."
"This is a place that means a lot to me personally. I've worked with this estate a lot, and I've gone here often to photograph seasonal changes. This is hands-down one of the most beautiful estates in Scotland that's very well maintained. One of my favorite viewpoints to photograph the lodge from is overlooking the loch towards the mountains with its beautiful forests. It's an amazing postcard picture of Scotland. You can take a great walk around the estate to enjoy this landscape.”
"If you're looking for an iconic viewpoint of Scotland, Loch Maree is a great spot to visit. What's special about it is that there are lots of little islands in this loch. All of them have been untouched by agriculture and deforestation so they feature Scotland's most native trees and plant life. I consider the landscape here the most native picture of old Scotland. Photographing the islands, the lake, and the Siloch mountain in the background fully captures a quintessential image of Scotland."
"A paradise for bird lovers. In fact this island is home to the largest colony of Gannets in the World, approximately 150,000 of them on a small, steep sided island three miles off the east coast of North Berwick. Daily sailings depart the town which makes it an easy, but rewarding day out on the boat. There’s a picturesque lighthouse perched perfectly on the cliffside too. A perfect postcard photo as you sail back to the mainland."