North East Scotland & Cairngorms Photography Workshop | 18–24 March 2027

Seven days exploring the coast, mountains and landscapes of North East Scotland

Join me for a week exploring one of my favourite parts of Scotland, with everything from dramatic coastal landscapes and traditional fishing harbours to mountains, abandoned crofts, forests, lochs and hopefully a little snow still hanging around on the higher peaks.

We'll be based in Lossiemouth on the Moray coast, which gives us a fantastic starting point for exploring this part of Scotland. We'll have plenty of opportunities for coastal photography, trips inland towards the Cairngorms and even a bit of aviation photography if the conditions and aircraft activity allow.

I've deliberately kept this trip to just three photographers, so it'll be a relaxed week with plenty of room in the van, time to explore different compositions and the flexibility to change our plans depending on the weather.

The idea is simple. Get out with our cameras, explore some wonderful places, make the most of the light and enjoy a week away with a few like-minded photographers.

At a glance

Dates: Thursday 18 to Wednesday 24 March 2027

Duration: Seven days, six nights, including arrival and departure days

Price: £995 per photographer

Group size: Maximum three photographers

Accommodation: Six nights in comfortable private accommodation in Lossiemouth, with your own bedroom

Photography: Coastal landscapes, sea stacks, fishing harbours, long exposures, mountain scenery, woodlands and potential aviation photography

Food and fuel: Shared separately at cost price.

Transport: I'll take care of driving between our photography locations

Getting there: Collection can be arranged from Inverness Airport, Forres or Elgin railway stations. Travel with me from Norwich may also be possible by prior arrangement.

What we'll be photographing

There's an incredible amount of variety in this part of Scotland, and that's one of the reasons I keep coming back.

Along the Moray coast, we'll explore beaches, harbours, dramatic cliffs, sea stacks and traditional fishing villages. Places such as Bow Fiddle Rock, Findhorn, Burghead and the coastline around Lossiemouth offer all sorts of opportunities for different compositions and changing light.

We'll spend time working with the coastline, photographing everything from wider landscapes to smaller details, and experimenting with longer exposures when the conditions suit.

I'd also like to get inland towards the Cairngorms, where we'll find forests, lochs, mountain landscapes and some completely different photographic opportunities.

At this time of year, there's a reasonable chance we'll still find some snow on the higher mountains, which could give us some lovely contrasts between the spring colours lower down and the winter conditions higher up.

We may also make the journey further east to Rattray Head Lighthouse, some castle ruins and some very rugged coastline further along the coast.

I'm not somebody who likes planning every photograph weeks in advance. We'll have a good idea of where we want to go, but I'd much rather follow the best conditions than drive somewhere just because it's written on an itinerary.

A little aviation photography too

One of the nice things about staying in Lossiemouth is having RAF Lossiemouth nearby.

If there's suitable aircraft activity during our stay, I'd love to make some time for aviation photography as well.

It'll be a chance to get the longer lenses out and try something a little different, whether that's photographing aircraft in flight, experimenting with panning or working on capturing moving subjects.

Of course, RAF Lossiemouth is an operational military airbase, so flying activity isn't guaranteed. We'll be photographing from suitable public locations, and there won't be any access to the airbase itself.

It's simply another photographic opportunity we can enjoy alongside the landscape work; that being said, if you don’t want to do this, landscape photography is 100% cool with me.

How the week works

We'll get together on Thursday 18 March, with pickups from the agreed airport or railway stations during the morning. The photography will begin around midday, giving us the afternoon to go to the local Tesco and get our shopping in, and the evening to explore our first locations and hopefully catch a sunset.

From Friday through to Tuesday, we'll have five full days to explore the coastline, harbours, forests and mountain landscapes of North East Scotland.

Some mornings we'll be out well before sunrise, while other days might involve a more relaxed start, particularly after a long day out with the cameras.

We'll plan our locations around the weather, tides and available light rather than following a rigid itinerary. That means we can make the most of the conditions and give ourselves time at locations rather than rushing around trying to tick everything off a list.

I'll be photographing alongside everyone, but I'm always happy to offer help with camera settings, filters, compositions or anything else you're working on.

On Wednesday 24 March, we'll hopefully squeeze in one final sunrise around Lossiemouth if the conditions suit us. After that, we'll head back to the accommodation, pack up and begin our journeys home, including any agreed return transfers.

More than just photography

One of my favourite things about running these trips is the time we spend together outside the actual photography.

We'll be staying in a comfortable house in Lossiemouth, with everyone having their own bedroom and plenty of communal space to relax after a day out.

In the evenings, there's usually somebody downloading and backing up their photographs, someone looking through the day's images on a laptop and the inevitable conversations about what worked, what didn't and what we might try the next day differently.

There'll be a bit of music, plenty of laughter and probably a few stories from previous photography adventures.

It's always a relaxed atmosphere, and nobody has to join in with everything. If you fancy an early night after a long day, that's absolutely fine too.

I've made some brilliant friendships through photography over the years, and that's every bit as important to me as coming home with a few great photographs.

Food and fuel — keeping the trip affordable

I've tried to make this trip as affordable as possible, so rather than building food and fuel costs into the workshop price, we'll share those separately.

We'll make a stop at a local supermarket to stock up on food for the week. The plan is to prepare packed lunches to take out with us, so we can enjoy something to eat while we're photographing without having to find a café every lunchtime. We can also make bacon and sausage butties, hot drinks and a few other things in my van.

In the evenings, we can cook and eat together at the accommodation or occasionally head out to a local pub or restaurant.

To help everyone budget, I'm capping the shared food and fuel contributions at £100 each per photographer for the whole trip.

That means:

• Food: Up to £100 per photographer for our shared supermarket shopping and meals prepared at the accommodation.

• Fuel: Up to £100 per photographer towards our shared transport throughout the trip.

If the actual shared costs are lower, you'll only pay your share of what we spend. If those costs go above £100 per person in either category, I'll cover the difference.

Alcoholic drinks, personal snacks, treats and any meals you choose to buy separately at pubs or restaurants aren't covered by the shared food budget.

It's all about keeping things simple, keeping the costs down and enjoying the photography without spending a fortune along the way.

What's included

• Six nights' accommodation in Lossiemouth, with your own private bedroom.

• A small group of just three photographers.

• Photography location planning across North East Scotland and the Cairngorms.

• My help and guidance throughout our photography sessions.

• Transport between photography locations in my van, with fuel shared separately as explained above.

• Collection from Inverness Airport, Forres or Elgin railway station, where arranged in advance.

• A relaxed week of photography, exploring and enjoying the company of other photographers.

What's not included

Food and fuel are not included in the £995 workshop price. Your contribution towards our shared food shopping and fuel will be capped at £100 each, as explained above.

Alcoholic drinks, personal snacks, meals purchased separately at pubs or restaurants and other personal expenses are also not included.

Travel to your agreed collection point, personal photography equipment, camera insurance, travel insurance and personal accident insurance are your own responsibility.

What to bring

Bring your camera, a selection of lenses, a sturdy tripod, spare batteries, memory cards and any landscape filters you already own.

A wide-angle lens is useful for the landscapes, while a telephoto can be great for picking out details in the mountains and along the coastline.

If you're interested in the aviation photography, a longer telephoto lens would definitely be worth bringing.

March in Scotland can be unpredictable, so make sure you've got warm waterproof clothing, suitable footwear and plenty of layers. We'll be working outdoors in some fairly exposed places, and it can get particularly chilly around sunrise.

If you're unsure about any equipment, just get in touch beforehand and I'll happily offer some advice.

Booking information

The workshop costs £995 per photographer, with just three places available.

A £350 deposit secures your place, with the remaining £645 due on 17 January 2027, subject to confirmation of the final booking schedule.

Your total budget for the workshop, accommodation, shared food and fuel will be no more than £1,195 per photographer, excluding personal travel, alcohol, individual snacks, separately purchased meals and other personal extras.

I'd really appreciate payment by bank transfer (BACS) where possible, as it helps me keep the costs down and offer this trip at a more affordable price. Just drop me a message if you'd prefer to book that way.

You're equally welcome to book securely through the website.

Once your booking is confirmed, I'll be in touch about travel arrangements, collection points and any equipment questions you might have.

The final joining information will be sent before we leave.

If you'd like to discuss the trip before booking, please don't hesitate to get in touch.

Please read my workshop booking and cancellation information before booking.