As soon as we started approaching the landing strip, gazing throughout the airplane’s window, I got captured by the stunning scenery composed of vivid-green rolling hills and countless lochs. Little did I know at this point that in Scotland beauty doesn’t put on a show only in nature, but also in the city. A beautiful harmony between old and new, blending historic architecture with modern design. I knew right away this was going to be an incredible place to explore together with Captain Click. Unfortunately I wasn’t yet aware that my light meter is inaccurate, resulting in murkier images than what I wished for, but hey, I’m very new to analog, so no need to be hard on myself.
The Trossachs National Park
Located along the famous Loch Lomond, The Trossachs National Park is one of the most picturesque natural areas in Scotland, where we’ve started our journey’s first day with a hike through the park. A day that started cold and gloomy, which is not uncommon to Scotland, ended in a beautiful summer day with sunshine and blue skies.
Sunset over Glasgow
After the hike in the Trossachs National Park, and a short refreshing break at the hotel, I couldn’t stay put seeing the blue sky and sunshine outside, so before I know it, I was doing my 25000th step for the day, looking for golden hour sun rays. And luckily I didn’t have to look too far, as the OVO Hydro area has offered quite some beautiful reflections.
The hidden lane
Not as hidden as the name suggests, but still a cute and quiet place to photograph. Tucked away from the busy street, it’s an eclectic pocket of creativity and culture. The hidden lane is home to numerous arts studios, where artists can showcase their work in artisanal stores. As one would expect from such a place, it’s vibrant and colourful, perfect for putting Captain Click’s shutter at work.
Barras flea market
The Barras is a major street and indoor weekend market in the East End of Glasgow, Scotland. The term “Barra” is Glaswegian dialect for “barrow” relating to the market’s early years where traders sold their wares from handcarts. Says wikipedia. I say that it’s a great generator of random good shots, especially when you’re not a novice film underexposer as I was, so I only dare to share the best of the worst shots.
Beinn Narnain hike
If poor exposure had been the only thing that went wrong that day, it might have been bearable. But no, from a fully booked bus to a missed train and a wrong ticket purchase, everything went south during the first part of my journey towards the summit of Beinn Narnain. Things got so bad that, due to pain in my foot and the only train back to Glasgow leaving at 14:00, I had to abandon the hike midway—something I’ve only done once before in my life, and I regret it to this day. On the bright side, it started pouring on my way down, so I felt less of the summit FOMO. By this point, I wasn’t just in pain; I was wet, cold, hungry, and completely empty-handed in terms of good shots. To top it all off, I found a very packed train waiting for me, which should have basically been called “The Scottish Sardine Express.”
Day trip to Stirling
Often referred to as the “Gateway to the Highlands” due to it’s location between the Highlands and the Lowlands, Stirling is yet another spectacular place with a lot of natural and historical beauty. It’s easily accessible by train from both Glashow and Edinburgh for a day trip, and it can entertain with it’s beautiful old town, the iconic Stirling Castle and the picturesque surrounding countryside.
Edinburgh
If someone would ask me what’s the most beautiful city I’ve ever seen, I don’t need to think too hard. It’s definitely Edinburgh, with it’s magical looks straight out of a fairy-tale.
Arthur’s Seat
The visit to Edinburgh would have felt incomplete without hiking to the summit of the famous volcanic hill. It offers stunning and contrasting views over natural landscapes, the city, and the surrounding areas.
