A HIGHLAND START
After almost two years living in a static caravan following my relocation from The Netherlands and several lockdowns later we found a dream-house in the far north of Scotland. We decided to embark upon a new adventure and leave the beautiful Kingdom of Fife, swapping the Firth of Forth for the Dornoch Firth in the Highlands which is home to many famous castles such as Dunrobin Castle in Golspie.
Dunrobin Castle. With 189 rooms it makes it the largest stately home in the Northern Highlands. It’s also the most northerly of Scotland’s great houses.
It has been a difficult time for all of us since the start of the pandemic. I started to see Fife as ‘the lockdown place’ and as time went on I began to struggle with anxieties. My passion, enjoyment and energy for photography was at a low ebb, hence the reason why you haven't seen any updates on my page lately. It is important to talk about your mental health and the one thing I've learnt over the past year is that I was not alone struggling with anxieties. It doesn’t always make you feel better but knowing that you’re not the only one that is going through this can be reassuring.
Now with the brighter prospect of having a ‘real’ home I can finally see the light at the end of the tunnel. I no longer have to be anxious living in a static caravan which I had the idea could slide down the hill anytime it started to rain. The caravan was literally hovering over the edge after last year's landslides in Kinghorn following a severe storm. Every time there was rain in the forecast I made sure I had some bags ready just in case we might have to leave the place in an emergency.
Now with this new base for BRAWSCOTLAND, fresh ideas and my passion for photography are coming back to life. With that positivity I’m truly looking forward to many upcoming adventures amidst majestic, wild scenery and blissful seclusion surrounded by lochs, mountains, the sea and its vast beaches here in the far north of Scotland.
It feels like a new chapter has started and my new life as a Dutch-Scottish Highlander has begun in such a beautiful part of the world.
Back in Fife, Inchkeith Island has been an important photographic focal point for me. I was fortunate to have this view from the caravan and I enjoyed seeing the Island in a variety of different light and weather conditions.
A gull flying above the Forth with Inchkeith Island which has been an important photographic focal point for me for the last two years living in Fife.
It was featured in my 2021 calendar and *SPOILER ALERT: you can enjoy looking at this Island again in my 2022 calendar. I aim to get everything sorted in time and pre-orders should be available from the first week of October. More info will follow.
With this new start, I have a whole new landscape on my doorstep and I’m so motivated to capture all of that beauty and share it with you. While there’s still plenty to sort out following the move to make our house the perfect ‘Heilan hame’ I will soon be out exploring new locations with my camera once again.
Tower Lodge on the right. This Category B listed building in Golspie built in 1865 can be found on the edge of Dunrobin Castle Estate. Ben Bhraggie (or Beinn a'Bhragaidh to give it its proper, Gaelic name) stands boldly in the background with the statue of the First Duke of Sutherland - who remains controversial for his role in the Highland Clearance - perched on top of the hill.
It’s not a goodbye to Fife as it will always have a special place in my heart. It is the place where I set foot for the first time and made my first friends after my move to Scotland. There are still several places in the Kingdom I would like to discover or revisit in future.
In just a few short days up here, I have already seen several spots I would love to come back to to capture the stunning scenery. And I know I haven't even scratched the surface of all that Highland Scotland has to offer...
Fife, see you next time and halò Highland!
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