Photos and the City

Category: Portrait

Dunnottar Castle

After exploring Old Aberdeen and the beach (and my favourite Fittie) it was about time to go outside Aberdeen – for her photoshoot Emma choose the wonderful Dunnottar Castle, about twenty minutes from Aberdeen, as the backdrop.

The romantic ruin of Dunnottar Castle lies picturesquely on the edge of a cliff falling down in the North Sea, near Stonehaven.

William Wallace, Mary Queen of Scots, the Marquis of Montrose and the future King Charles II have graced the Castle with their presence. Most famously though, it was at Dunnottar Castle that a small garrison held out against the might of Cromwell’s army for eight months and saved the Scottish Crown Jewels, the ‘Honours of Scotland’, from destruction. (Visitscotland.com)

Being fortified since the Early Middle Ages today´s ruins and buildings are mainly from the 15th and 16th century.

21/01/2020
Smailholm Tower

Sited high on a rocky outcrop, Smailholm is a small rectangular tower set within a stone barmkin wall.

This 65 ft towerhouse was built by a well-known Scottish Borders family in the first half of the 15th century, and today you can enjoy stunning views of the surrounding countryside from Smailholm Tower’s battlements. (Visitscotland.com)

Karina and I had a photoshoot in Galashiels and were looking for a bit of nature as a second location and that brought us to Smailholm Tower, lucky for me, I´ve probably hadn´t visited it otherwise.

a place that inspired Sir Walter Scott. Ancestors of the great Romantic novelist had called the tower home, and Scott learned the power of border ballads as a young infant living on the estate. (Historic Environment Scotland)

Smailholm Tower is a 20m high tower house built by the Pringles family in the first half of the 1400s as a border stronghold. The tower was closed on the day we visited but the view from up there must be stunning!

Smailholm Tower was designed, in common with all Scottish peel towers, to provide its occupants with protection from sporadic English raids. The tower was attacked by English soldiers in 1543, 1544 and again in 1546, when the garrison of Wark Castle sacked the tower and carried off prisoners and cattle. The castle was successfully defended against the English in 1640, by Sir Andrew Ker of Greenhead. (Wikipedia)

26/11/2019
Scott´s View

Between Galashiels and Melrose lies this iconic view of the Scottish Borders – Scott´s View – a favourite of Sir Walter Scott.

The story goes that he paused to admire the view so often during his travels that his horses soon learned to stop at the viewpoint without command. When Scott died in 1832, his funeral procession passed the viewpoint on its way to Dryburgh Abbey (where Scott was interred), and it is said that his horses stopped out of habit, allowing their friend to have one final look at the Borders landscape he loved so dearly. (Atlas Obscura)

From Scott´s View, you´ll have an overview over the River Tweed valley and the three peaks of Eidon Hill, a remainder of volcanic activities in the Scottish Borders.

I was only able to enjoy Scott´s View thanks to Ruth (and Bingley) – a photographer herself Ruth stepped in front of my camera and we drove up to the viewpoint after our photoshoot along the River Tweed. Ruth not only wanted to have some images with Bingley, her lovely dog but also bring out her wedding dress for a little “glam the dress” photo session. Doesn´t the look like they stepped out a Scott novel?

19/11/2019