Jim Richardson Photography

Scotland Fix of the Day: It's not that Iona, the island nestled close to Mull off the west coast of Scotland, is so spectacular. While it is pretty with several fine beaches you won't find gorgeous mountains or waterfalls on Iona. Nor the kind of drop dead, trophy class scenery beloved by day trippers short on time. But Iona charms people today just as it has done for over 15 centuries, since before St. Columba came here in 563 AD. Travelers have been coming back to Iona for a host of reasons: spiritual enlightenment, plunder, immortality, and the search for social justice. These days whenever I visit (as I will next week) I find moments that are rich with a kind of longed-for island time, the stuff we dream about but rarely attain. Certainly I understand that this may be nostalgia on my part, that I find what I go looking for. And it's unfair to the islanders who hustle and work hard every day so that visitors like me can drop in while wearing our rose-colored glasses and find the bliss that escapes us back home. (Perhaps happiness is easier to find when we are actively looking for it.) But I'm hardly the only traveler that Iona has snagged. #scotland #highlands #scotlandtrip #epic_landscape #highlands #bestofscotland #hiddenscotland #thehighlandcollective #scotland_highlights #ig_scotland #visitscotland #scotlandgreatshots #unlimitedscotland #orkney #scottishislands #thescottishcollective #simplyscotland #moodyscotland #scotlanddreams #iona #scottishislands — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/nHrjw0G

Scotland Fix of the Day: I’m excited to say that in a couple of weeks I’ll be back in Scotland gazing at Eilean Donan castle after sailing down the Caledonian canal and out into the Inner Hebrides. I'll be aboard the Lord of the Glens with National Geographic Expeditions, a trip I've done before. Two hundred years ago industrious Scots were digging this historic canal, building it large enough to carry a 32 gun frigate, at the time of the Napoleonic wars. It’s considerably more peaceful now, wildflowers were growing along the canal trail on this morning as we hiked along the canal trail, catching up with the boat at the next loch. The canal starts in Inverness and ends near Ft. William. In between it connects Loch Ness (montser there), Loch Oich (might have a monster) and Loch Lochy, past castles, villages and pubs, through stunning scenery and the kind of history any Outlander fan might relish. The Lord of the Glens always draws a crowd as we ascend the locks in Fort Augustus. Back in the day when the locks were operated by capstans it took half a day to get through but now it’s usually about 90 minutes. After a stop on the Isle of Eigg (or maybe Rum) in the Small Isles we'll be on to Iona, always a pretty sight with boats coming and going. Granite boulders forming the Street of the Dead (Sraid nam Marbh) leading off to Iona Abbey have lain here on Iona for more than 1,000 years. Along this processional way the bodies of Scottish Kings (MacBeth included) and royalty were carried to their graves in Reilig Odhráin from Martyr’s Bay, where Viking raiders killed 68 monks in 806 AD. In the evening we dock in the harbor at Tobermory on the Isle of Mull, looking out at what has to be one of the prettiest waterfronts of any Scottish island village. It’s famed for the signature red, yellow, and blue buildings that the children’s television show “Balamory” made famous. It's a terrific trip, full of history, great landscapes and culture. And who knows, we might get a dram of whisky along the way. #scotland #highlands #outlander #epic_landscape #highlands #bestofscotland #hiddenscotland #thehighlandcollective #scotland_highlights #ig_scotland #visitscotland — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/aGvrQRc

Scotland Fix of the Day: Orkney isn’t big but it packs incredible variety into this archipelago of North Sea islands. About twenty are inhabited, connected by ferries (and airlines) running back and forth, lending a sense of busy life to the wild and ancient landscapes. You can “do” Orkney in a day but that barely scrapes the surface of everything you can find, much less do justice to the UNESCO World Heritage sites. (And besides, there are two great whisky distilleries, Highland Park and Scapa, to sample.) I’ll share just a brief sampling of Orkney here: 1. Sweeping Rackwick Bay on the Isle of Hoy. 2. The Ring of Brodgar stone circle 3. St. Magnus Cathedral in Kirkwall 4. Harbor cats on Shapinsay 5. The Ness of Brodgar neolithic archeology dig 6. Beaches on Sanday #scotland #highlands #scotlandtrip #epic_landscape #highlands #bestofscotland #hiddenscotland #thehighlandcollective #scotland_highlights #ig_scotland #visitscotland #scotlandgreatshots #igersscotland #unlimitedscotland #orkney #scottishislands #thescottishcollective #simplyscotland #moodyscotland #scotlanddreams — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/b6xYiqS

Scotland Fix of the Day: For all my years working in Scotland I don't think I've ever found Highland cattle looking so pretty – or in such a pretty and historic setting – as these somewhere around Glencoe (my captions from the time say.) These cattle harken back to the days when the Highlands was a cattle economy and raiding and stealing cattle was part of Highland lore – and sport. I am posting them today mostly because it is the dark days of winter, we're all a little put upon by Covid, and nothing cheers up Scotland lovers like a Highland cattle and their calves. Enjoy the Heilan Coos! #scotland #bestofscotland #hiddenscotland #thehighlandcollective #scotland_highlights #photosofbritain #ig_scotland #visitscotland. #scotlandgreatshots #scotlandmagazine #highlands #scottishhighlands #scotland_greatshots #scenicbritain #uk_greatshots #igersscotland #scotland_lover #lovescotland #unlimitedscotland #scotlandtrip #scotlandtravel #scotlandtrip #highlandcow #thescottishcollective #simplyscotland #moodyscotland — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/rwtQJGk

Scotland Fix of the Day: Scots have been building with stone for a very long time. I could see that standing on the hill above Carloway Broch, built two millennia ago by Iron Age folk here on the Isle of Lewis. When new it was roughly thirty feet (ten meters) high, a perfect cylindrical tower house that exuded wealth and status. But as I looked I wondered, "Where did all the stones go?" The answer was (most likely) into the (newer) nearby stone fence that you see here or just maybe into the stone houses down the road. "Robbing" stones, the practice of reusing stones leftover from previous structures, has been common since ancient times and makes perfect economic sense. (Why quarry new stones when there's a pile of old stones just over there?) I saw that pattern when I watched a builder repair an old drystane dyke (stone fence built without mortar) on the north coast. Stone by stone he robbed an old fallen down fence and fitted them into the new fence. Slowly it dawned on me that these very same stones have probably been carried back and forth across this ancient landscape many times over the centuries, reused over and over to suit new purposes and needs. He wasn't disturbing some artifact, he was just carrying on a tradition of life thousands of years old in the stony land. #scotland #highlands #outlander #epic_landscape #highlands #hebrides #bestofscotland #hiddenscotland #thehighlandcollective #scotland_highlights #ig_scotland #visitscotland #scotlandgreatshots #scotlandmagazine #scottishhighlands #scotland_greatshots #igersscotland #unlimitedscotland #thescottishcollective #simplyscotland #moodyscotland #scotlanddreams #lovetheouterhebrides — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/uht7nJU

Scotland Fix of the Day: Getting around Scotland very often brings to mind winding roads meandering through Highland glens. But with 11,602 total miles of coastline and 93 inhabited islands — as well as countless loch and lochans — boats ought to come to mind just as easily. Casting about in my Scotland collection I was struck by how many times boats defined a place, setting the stage in so many ways for the nature of life there. This collection shares some favorites: 1. On the CalMac ferry as the Outer Hebrides come into view, always the beginning of interesting exploration. 2. A boat on the bank across the bay from Lagavulin distillery on Islay, the aroma of seaweed a hint at the flavor of the whisky. 3. Looking up mysterious Loch Ness in the evening, wishing I were out on that small boat in such calmness. 4. Hauling cattle off the Isle of Ensay from Summer grazing on a small barge. (Interesting job, loading cattle from the beach on a barge.) 5. Arriving on Iona on the ferry from Fionnphort to explore the abbey. 6. The Lord of the Glens cruising down the Caledonian Canal, built in the early 1800’s for commerce and to carry British Navy frigates across Scotland from the North Sea to the Atlantic. #scotland #highlands #outlander #epic_landscape #bestofscotland #hiddenscotland #thehighlandcollective #scotland_highlights #ig_scotland #visitscotland #scotlandgreatshots #scottishislands #scotland_greatshots #igersscotland #unlimitedscotland #thescottishcollective #simplyscotland #moodyscotland #hebrides #lovetheouterhebrides — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/WCkcPyH

Scotland Fix of the Day: By now many of you may be dreaming of a Scotland trip next year. Just planning for such a trip can be a strong antidote to the darkening days of winter coming upon us. And many of you will be hoping to find some undiscovered gem of a destination, someplace unspoiled and untrammeled. So I thought I might offer a couple of possible locations that really are off the beaten track and for the first one I can’t think of a better adventure than trying to get out to St. Kilda. And getting to these island forty miles out in the Atlantic, beyond the Outer Hebrides, can be trying. Weather is a big obstacle and most boat tour operators will want you to book two consecutive days in order to have a chance of making it on one of them. (I once traveled out with a group of friends who had been coming back every year for nine years and hadn’t made it yet — until that day.) Boats depart from both Lewis and Harris and there is now a tour that leaves from the Isle of Skye. Expect the trip to be at least three hours. But if you make it you’ll be among only about 2,000 lucky visitors — per year! And you’ll be warmly welcomed by the National Trust for Scotland rangers who watch after this double UNESCO Wold Heritage Site treasure, honored for both its cultural heritage and its wildlife. You could say the two are connected: the final abandonment in 1930 by the residents who had survived there for millennia contributed to making this remote archipelago an even more inviting place for hundreds of thousands of seabirds, prime amongst them being huge colonies of puffins and gannets. It’s spectacular. My photographic work for National Geographic has actually taken me to St. Kilda several times (I’m really quite fortunate) and every time has been hugely memorable, a landmark travel experience. So if you decide to have a go at St. Kilda I won’t kid you: it’s not going to be easy. But St. Kilda is the very definition of “off the beaten track.” #scotland #stkilda #bestofscotland #hiddenscotland #natgeo #lindbladexpeditions #nationalTrustforScotland #scotland_highlights#ig_scotland #visitscotland #scotlandgreatshots #scotland_greatshots #igersscotland #unlimitedscot — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/GApc5Ej

Scotland Fix of the Day: Any Highland Gathering is a great photographic opportunity but I've always been keen on the March of the Lonach Highlanders as they wend their way through Strathdon, hundreds of Highlanders splendidly kitted out for the morning of camaraderie and tradition. From country house to country house collecting drams along the way, it makes for sight not quite matched anywhere else. And it's a true community event, not just spectacle. The year the Lonach Highland and Friendly Society gathers on Saturday, August 26, an historic piece of Scotland in the summer. (And if you have your own favorite games please mention them in the comments.) #scotland #highlands #outlander #epic_landscape #bestofscotland #hiddenscotland #thehighlandcollective #scotland_highlights #ig_scotland #visitscotland #scotlandgreatshots #scotlandmagazine #scottishhighlands #scotland_greatshots #igersscotland #unlimitedscotland #thescottishcollective #simplyscotland #moodyscotland #scotlanddreams #lonachgathering — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/Ct1qH67

Scotland Fix of the Day: The evening was supremely quiet as the moon came up over the Callanish Stones; it was calming and settling to be there alone amongst the stones – and the spirits of the people who put them up 5,000 years ago. This religious site was central to Neolithic life on Lewis for well over 1,000 years and then fell out of use. Gradually blanket peat rose in layers around the stones until only the tops were visible. In 1857 the proprietor of Lewis, James Matheson, had workers strip away five feet of peat, revealing the chambered tomb in the center. Today Callanish is cared for by Historic Monuments Scotland, one of the gems of ancient life in the Hebrides islands. #scotland #epic_landscape #highlands #bestofscotland #hiddenscotland #scotland_highlights #ig_scotland #visitscotland #scotlandgreatshots #scotland_greatshots #igersscotland #unlimitedscotland #thescottishcollective #simplyscotland #moodyscotland #lovetheouterhebrides — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/kVs4rPW

Scotland Fix of the Day: While Scotland has an abundance of pretty villages my sentimental favorite will always be Pennan, forever bathed in the nostalgic glow of the cult movie "Local Hero" that was set here (mostly) in 1983. Much has changed since then and now the village is largely second homes, but the iconic red phone booth is still there. I suspect my nostalgia-laced vision of a coastal fishing village never was too realistic and the movie only inflated that rose-colored vision. Nevertheless this is the vision I've got stuck in my mind. I would guess I'm not alone. Have you seen the movie? Have you been to Pennan? Have you made a phone call from the red phone booth? Have you tried to call the phone booth? #scotland #highlands #outlander #scotlandtrip #scotlandtravel #highlands #bestofscotland #hiddenscotland #thehighlandcollective #ig_scotland #visitscotland #scotlandgreatshots #scotlandmagazine #scottishhighlands #scotland_greatshots #igersscotland #unlimitedscotland #thescottishcollective #simplyscotland #moodyscotland #scotlanddreams #localhero #pennan — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/dVpiQ8Y

My friends and fellow National Geographic photographers wanted to share some of their images as we celebrate Earth Day. So we’ve been digging into The Photo Society Archive (our shared effort to showcase decades of our work for NatGeo) and pulling out some of our best images, just for today! Beginning in 1970, Earth Day is seen as the birth of the modern day environmental movement. It has since grown to an annual global event— inspiring millions to care about the planet we live on. If you’d like to see more just visit the TPS Archive link in @thephotosociety to discover more of our incredible world. Happy Earth Day everybody! (My image of the Skua is from St. Kilda, a great haven for seabirds off the west coast of Scotland.) Photo 1: Jim Richardson @jimrichardsonng Photo 2: Peter McBride @pedromcbride Photo 3: Michael Melford @MichaelMelford Photo 4: Joel Sartore @joelsartore Photo 5: Jodi Cobb @jodicobbphoto Photo 6: Gerd Ludwig @gerdludwig Photo 7: Christian Ziegler @christianziegler Photo 8: Melissa Farlow @melissafarlow Photo 9: Bruce Dale @brucedalephotography Photo 10: Richard H Stewart #EarthDay #conservation #sustainability #climatechange #earthday2023 — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/8YHuWtw

Scotland Fix of the Day: Tobermory always vies for prettiest coastal village in Scotland but this evening it had an extra sparkle. It says something about the Isle of Mull that Tobermory with only 1,000 people is the biggest town on the island. It maintains an authentic feel busier islands (Skye) struggle to maintain. But interestingly it's a planned village, the product of the famous engineer Thomas Telford in 1788. Two hundred years before that in 1588 a Spanish galleon fleeing the Armada debacle anchored in the bay to take on provision. Stories vary but the gunpowder magazine exploded and it sank, taking with it (so the legend says) £300,000 worth of gold bullion. Treasure hunters have been diving for it ever since, the last serious effort taking place in 1950. Mostly travelers get here by ferry from Oban, but there is a smaller ferry there at the end of the pier that takes you over to the Ardnamurchan peninsula, a much more adventurous exploration route. #tobermory #scotland #highlands #bestofscotland #hiddenscotland #thehighlandcollective #visithebrides #scotland_highlights #ig_scotland #visitscotland #scotlandgreatshots #igersscotland #unlimitedscotland #thescottishcollective #simplyscotland #moodyscotland #scotlanddreams — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/71ilyd4

Scotland Fix of the Day: Seeing Ceapabhal hill towering in the distance over the long beaches of the Isle of Harris beckons you to an historic walk in a unique Scottish Landscape. Begin by driving on down to Northton where you look out over the tidal saltings to the crofting community of An Taobh Tuath, farmhouses lining the road in traditional fashion, each croft a narrow strip of land running from the beach up the hill. Walk on out towards Ceapabhal past idyllic beaches and you'll come to Rubha na Teampaill, an ancient church built atop the ruins of an earlier broch. (The broch would be roughly 2,000 years old. The Vikings came raiding and ransacked the place in the 800's. The church you see here was rebuilt in 1528.) This is common grazing land so don't be surprised to see sheep sheltering in the church. If you are lucky you might find a crofter like Kenny MacKay out amongst the flock at lambing time. But most like you'll have the peninsula all to yourself, one of the gems of any Scottish island tour. #lovetheouterhebrides #scotland #scotlandtravel #epic_landscape #hebrides #bestofscotland #hiddenscotland #scotland_highlights #ig_scotland #visitscotland #scotlandgreatshots #scottishhighlands #scotland_greatshots #igersscotland #unlimitedscotland #thescottishcollective #simplyscotland #moodyscotland #scotlanddreams — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/AySuPCI

Scotland Fix of the Day: With summer coming a Scottish travel plans in the making here's a nudge towards thinking farther afield. Consider the wild (and less trampled) realms of Harris and Lewis, islands of the Outer Hebrides where you really can get away from the crowds, with beaches like you'll find at Seilebost and Luskentyre, or explore the rugged realms of the west coast of Lewis around Uig (the blowing beach grass) or Mangersta (the broad beach at sunset.) It'll take a bit more preparation (a ferry out and back, fewer accomodations) but the adventure quotient is much higher. (And while you are there consider a far flung chance to get to St. Kilda.) #scotland #highlands #outlander #scotlandtrip #scotlandtravel #epic_landscape #highlands #bestofscotland #hiddenscotland #scotland_highlights #ig_scotland #visitscotland #scotlandgreatshots #scotland_greatshots #igersscotland #unlimitedscotland #thescottishcollective #simplyscotland #moodyscotland #scotlanddreams #outerhebridescollective — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/NL3QvOi

Scotland Fix of the Day: Eileen Iarmain on the Isle of Skye is my idea of an island hotel, down at the end of a country road, close by the loch with spectacular views across the sound, a fishing boat or two rocking at high tide, a soundtrack of sloshing waves. There's folklore, too. Flora MacDonald aided and abetted Bonnie Prince Charlie here after his miserable defeat at Culloden. Of course there's a pub (Am Praban) all very Gaelic and serving the whisky produced (literally) next door. Mostly though it is atmosphere, unhurried and reflective. Why would you go someplace else for dinner when the peat fire is already lit in the lounge? There are many rustic country house hotels in Scotland but this may be the most authentic on the Isle of Skye. And with just 16 rooms you can bet the coach tours won't be a bother. When advising travelers to Scotland I always try to point out that a stay in such a place is just as much a part of the Scottish experience as a Highland Games or a distillery tour. #scotland #highlands #outlander #scotlandtrip #scotlandtravel #epic_landscape #highlands #bestofscotland #hiddenscotland #thehighlandcollective #scotland_highlights #ig_scotland #visitscotland #scotlandgreatshots #scotlandmagazine #scottishhighlands #scotland_greatshots #igersscotland #unlimitedscotland #thescottishcollective #simplyscotland #moodyscotland #scotlanddreams — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/DKERPkj

Scotland Fix of the Day: Last night a friend sent an urgent request that was right down my alley. His buddy is in Scotland right now, doing a looping trip around the far Northwest coast. Did I have any advice of things he should do? Well, since he was in Ullapool I thought he should go on up to Stan Pollaidh (Stac Polly) and have a go at the popular climbing peak. Not daunted by doubtful weather, he did it today in snow squalls – and had the time of his life. What a great report, filled with intrepid adventure and the serendipity of travel. It is spectacular territory, another realm from what we usually think of the "Highlands." Worth finding the wee one-track road to get here. By the way, this view is taken from atop Sgorr Tuath with the weathered red sandstone framing up the Stac. #scotland #highlands #hillwalking #epic_landscape #highlands #bestofscotland #hiddenscotland #thehighlandcollective #scotland_highlights #ig_scotland #visitscotland #scotlandgreatshots #scotlandmagazine #scottishhighlands #scotland_greatshots #igersscotland #unlimitedscotland #thescottishcollective #simplyscotland #moodyscotland — view on Instagram https://ift.tt/iNzwv5B