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Little Tin Houses

An analog journal of alternative & rural living.
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Back to Skye

July 08, 2023

We have a motorhome, we have a caravan, but no, we head to Skye in a tent.

Sometimes the simplest set up is the most enjoyable though, and I can confirm there is something very freeing about heading off for a few days with just a few spare clothes, a camping stove, sleeping bags and a tent. We live in a van and spend all day every day ‘camping’, so this was a good opportunity to be free of all the little luxuries we’ve accumulated in our living space.

We’re not wild campers…. we like toilets, shower blocks, and our car parked nearby, so we headed off to a couple of campsites we’d visited before, or heard good things about. Glenbrittle is perched right on the coast with beautiful views, a beach, and a coffee shop/bakery which was absolutely ideal for a morning of midges (its not fun making breakfast while the midges are out). Kinloch is another coastal spot, perfectly placed by Dunvegan village, and with (we found) a slightly quieter crowd.

We only stayed on Skye for a few days, but decided to make absolutely no plans other than visiting a few coffee shops we know and love in-between walks. I’m not one for having a list of places I want to visit, or doing any research in advance. We know Skye quite well anyways, but even if we didn’t, my travel style is more ‘let’s just go and see where we end up’. It’s a good way to see things other than the tourist checklist, and to avoid being amongst too many other people.

One other thing to note about this trip…. it was absolutely roasting. I never thought I’d see the day I got sunburnt on Skye but wow, it was definitely summer. Thank god for the beach at Glenbrittle as plodging in that sea was the only thing that kept me sane.

Snow & Statics

June 17, 2023

If there’s one thing that’ll persuade me to dust off my camera, it’s snow. Summer is my least favourite season to shoot in…. I don’t even particularly like golden hour light. I like mist, moodiness, grey skies, and most of all…. a thick blanket of snow.

Winter is a bit of a slog up in the highlands. It lasts forever (or at least feels like it), the cold is relentless, and with no tourists and a lot of businesses closed for the season it can feel a little hollow. I found this year though that the snow is what really helps me through the depths of it.

It’s already beautiful up here, but a layer of white adds a whole new level to it, and it just so happens to look incredible (in my opinion) on my film of choice, portra.

Another thing that I’ve always found interesting to shoot is static caravans, in particular, the older ones. I mean really, they are just little tin houses by definition, so they’re bound to be on my radar.

Most campsites have a rule that static caravans must be removed and replaced once they reach 20 years old, and I find it a huge shame. I think the boxy shapes and the subtle pastel colours of the older ones to have a huge charm about them, and as long as they’re well maintained, they should be kept and loved until they’ve really come to the end of their life. But unfortunately, I don’t own a caravan site so it’s not up to me, but at least I can put them on film and keep a version of them for myself for as long as I like.

Little Tin Houses

June 08, 2023

Well, it’s been over two years since my last post in this space. During that time a lot has happened, and not much of it involved my camera. In fact, I very nearly sold it as it wasn’t getting used. If there’s one thing I’ve learnt though, it’s to never sell a camera that I’ve loved at any point. I did actually part with my 35mm Nikon fm2 and I regret it already, just a few months later.

Anyways, where I’ve been… My creative energy was focused on my work with wool for quite a long time, and more recently on our tiny coffee shop in the cairngorms. I just didn’t have the mental space to add photography to that list too, but Cabin Coffee is running smoothly, I’ve near enough retired from weaving (but never say never) and my brain has room again.

After travelling round Scotland in our van, we decided this area felt like home and we decided to start planting some roots. Now that we’re settled, the call of the mamiya and the portra 400 has been heard and I dusted off the camera. I noticed that the thing I’m most excited about when I’m shooting is a stumbled upon old house, usually little, and usually with some sort of tin (corrugated iron, if we’re being pedantic) so that’s become the name for my refreshed portfolio of photographs.

I’m planning on photographing a lot more of the cairngorms and the highlands, so hopefully it’ll not be another two years before I post again…

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