HIGHLAND CEREMONIES
About the artwork and photographs
I feel extremely privileged to live in the Highlands of Scotland with this amazing landscape on my doorstep, so I feel it's only fair that I share some of that beauty with you through the images on my pages and give you some more ideas on the types of places where you could hold your special ceremony.
I have handpicked the images throughout my site from literally tens of thousands available and just love every one of them for fairly obvious reasons. Every image has been created by artists and photographers both living and working in Scotland and I've said a little about each of them below. You can have a look at more of their incredible work by clicking on the image. I hope you enjoy browsing through them as much as I did choosing them.
A stunning painting called Blustery Showers with the odd sunny spell - Loch Coruisk, Skye. It's by well-established artist and creative designer, Peter McDermott who runs the Aird Old Church Gallery near Sleat in Skye.
Loch Coruisk is a magnificent freshwater loch at the foot of the Cuillins and is an extremely popular spot for couples to get married once they make the boat crossing from Elgol (wilst trying to avoid the loch's resident kelpie, of course!)
The mighty Suilven in West Sutherland, taken in soft light by John McCarthy of Lochinver Landscapes. Suilven certainly isn't one of Scotland's highest mountains but it sits firmly within a wilderness landscape so isn't easy to access.
A recent film, Edie, sees Sheila Hancock determined to climb it and is well worth watching if you want a sense of the area.
Yes, we really do have beaches like this! This sublime painting of Camusdarach Beach is by Dundee based artist Douglas Roulston whose paintings are inspired by Scottish Highland myths and legends.
Camusdarach Beach is just a few miles south of Mallaig on the West Coast and the mountains in the background are the rugged peaks of the Island of Rum.
A stunning September sunset from Findochty on the Moray Coast, looking towards Sutherland. Photo by Angus Mackie of Scotland 360°.
As well as teaching photography courses from his base in the Black Isle, Angus also runs sea kayaking adventures around our beautiful coastlines and is a mountain guide.
Sanna Bay is the most westerly point in mainland Britain and sits at the end of the Ardnamurchan Peninsula. It's not necessarily an easy drive to get there, along single track roads which seem to disappear over mounds and around bends, but it's a trip definitely worth taking if you practice patience and don't mind dithering sheep wandering along the roadside in front of you.
Photo taken by renowned photographer - oh ok, only kidding - it was taken by me, and is one of my favourite spots.
Another dramatic and stunning painting by Douglas Roulston. This one is of Dalbeg Beach in Lewis - or Dhail Beag in Gaelic. The painting is called called Dalbeg's Rising Storm.
Dalbeg is said to be one of the most beautiful beaches in Lewis, and there are plenty of them. Many visitors choose to tour the Outer Hebrides in one trip, beginning in Lewis and Harris (which are actually one island), and then down through North Unist, Benbecula, South Uist and finally to Barra, from where you could fly back to the mainland, taking off from the world's only tidal runway (ie the beach!)
A tranquil and beautiful scene on Loch Shieldaig in Wester Ross taken by Steve Carter, a photographer who specialises in images of Torridon.
Shieldaig is a small but perfectly formed village straddling the loch and from where you can watch one of Scotland's pairs of sea eagles as they nest on an island in the loch and soar above the Torridon mountains.
Another view of Shieldaig, from the water looking back this time, and also taken by Steve Carter. This is the village itself with the magnificent backdrop of the mountains over which you may be lucky enough to see those sea eagles hunt.
The beautiful and iconic 13th Century Eilean Donan Castle on Scotland's west coast, a few miles from Kyle of Lochalsh and the bridge to Skye.
The mighty Ben Nevis, the UK's highest mountain. This photo was taken from the village of Corpach which sits at one end of the Caledonian Canal, and gives a stunning view of the Ben and its reflections in Loch Linnhe.
Ben Nevis sits at 4,411 feet, two feet higher than originally thought when it was re-measured in 2016. Whilst a challenging spot for serious climbers, it also has a more accessible face but don't let those gentle looking undulations fool you: it's not a casual walk and you may well experience the four seasons in a couple of hours!
And just in case you didn't fancy that trek up Ben Nevis yourself, I did it for you. This is a fairly rare day at the summit, in that you can actually see more than 10 yards in front of you, but note the snow still lying on the summit on this balmy day in late May!
The old bridge crossing the River Sligachan in the centre of Skye. This is a popular destination for walkers and climbers alike.
In the timeless landscape of Lewis stand the Callanish - or more correctly Calanais - Standing Stones. 5,000 years old, they're set in the shape of a Celtic cross. One theory as to their existence is that they may have been an astronomical observatory but, whatever their origin, they have become an exteemely sacred place.
Many couples choose to visit these sacred stones and to have a very special ceremony there, made all the more magical in the rays of the setting sun.
An incredibly calm day on Loch Ness, situated in the Great Glen, a 62 mile long fault line running almost straight from Invernes to Fort William. Loch Ness is home to the infamous and elusive Nessie, although she was absolutely nowhere to be seen on this winter's day, which is probably just as well for the lone fisherman in the kayak ...
I think this one looks more like a painting but it is, in fact, a photograph of Midhope Castle, which the more eagle eyed Outlander fans will recognise as Lallybroch, Jamie Fraser's ancestral home, and which was prominent in so many of the stories.
Midhope Castle is, in fact, part of the Hopetoun House estate and although that's situated near Edinburgh, Diana Gabaldon actually sited Jamie Fraser's home in Inverness.
The photo was taken on a very crisp morning by Douglas Milne who's based in West Lothian, and who has turned his attention to writing and photography after a long career in IT.
Edinburgh Castle stands proudly above Scotland's capital city. Built in the 12th Century by King David I of Scotland, this castle was home to monarchs throughout the ages but not, alas, today. When in Edinburgh, the Queen's official residence is, instead the Palace of Holyrood, just a mile away.
It is, however, home to the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo, an annual event attracting worldwide military bands and audiences alike.
Oh, and if your own purse will stretch to it, you can have your wedding ceremony here.
This is Loch Shiel and the Glenfinnan Monument which honours the fallen Jacobite clansmen. You'll find it on the road from Fort William to Mallaig, although if you want a slightly less close-up view of it, try taking the trip on the Jacobite steam train - otherwise known as the Harry Potter train! You'll spot it as you cross the magnificent Glenfinnan Viaduct.
Sunset over Gairloch in Wester Ross. Beaches, mountains and incredible scenery abound in this part of Scotland. The village of Gairloch has plenty of amenities and is a popular tourist base for exploring further afield. If you're feeling adventurous and have a car, the road to Rua Reidh lighthouse is one not to be missed.
You don't get much more remote that this little white house nestled into the base of the mountains in Glencoe.
Home to the infamous Massacre in 1692 which pitched Campbells against MacDonalds, Glencoe is a place of incredible beauty and deep, deep sadness, a feeling almost tangible on overcast winter days.
The beautiful Dunvegan Castle on the Island of Skye. The seat of Clan MacLeod, Dunvegan is also home to the Fairy Flag with its magical properties.
This adorable thistle is the one I use as my little favicon which sits beside the website name. For me, apart from the landscape itself, it's the thistle which most identifies as being Scottish, so it seemed the obvious choice to represent Highland Ceremonies.
This thistle was painted by Sandra Hugill, an artist who lives and works in Invermoriston, on the shores of Loch Ness. Most of Sandra's work is of mountains and landscape but she also paints these beautiful thistles and the most amazing Highland cows.
