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Join Red Dot Photo Workshops for a photography adventure through the Scottish Highlands and the Isle of Skye. This corner of Scotland holds some of the country’s most iconic landscapes: soaring mountains, misty glens, dramatic coastlines, rushing waterfalls, quiet villages and ancient castles. It’s a place where the light changes by the minute, where a passing shower can leave a rainbow over a loch and low cloud can turn a familiar ridge into something otherworldly.
We’ll spend our days chasing that light at some of the most photographed places in Scotland. At Eilean Donan Castle, the old stone walls rise from a small island where three sea lochs meet. On Skye, we’ll walk among the jagged pinnacles and cliffs of the Quiraing, hike up to the towering rock spire of the Old Man of Storr, and stand on the sea cliffs at Neist Point, where the lighthouse marks the island’s western edge and the sunsets can be unforgettable. Between these highlights, the road itself offers endless opportunities: lone cottages, Highland cattle, winding single-track roads and wide views across the water to the islands beyond.
Local photographer and guide Marcus McAdam and Leica specialist Peter Dooling of Red Dot Photo Workshops will be with you every step of the way, offering help and advice in the field.
We recommend the Leica SL system for our landscape photo workshops because it offers an ideal combination of image quality, durability, and flexibility in the field. The SL lens lineup covers a wide range of focal lengths from 14mm all the way to 400mm, giving photographers the tools to capture everything from sweeping vistas to distant mountain peaks without compromise. The zoom lenses in the system, such as the 16–35mm, 24–70mm, and 100–400mm, provide exceptional versatility without sacrificing optical performance—perfect for changing scenes and conditions on location. Additionally, the SL cameras and lenses are fully weather-sealed and built to withstand the rigors of the outdoors, offering peace of mind when shooting in wind, rain, or dust. Of course, you can bring any camera you like and we’re happy to help if you have any questions.
This isn’t a workshop where you spend the best daylight hours in a classroom. Why travel to one of the most beautiful places on earth just to sit indoors? We’ll be out making the most of every day and every chance at a great photograph. We will, however, gather for at least one review session so that everyone can get feedback on their images and tips on post processing techniques. 1-on-1 critique and post processing help will also be available.
This tour is suitable for all levels of experience and ability. While other cameras are certainly allowed, the focus is on Leica camera systems and learning how to use them to their full potential. Current owners as well as those wanting to try Leica gear out for a week of real shooting are encouraged to attend. We’ll share our favorite tips and tricks so you can get the most out of this exceptional gear.
Climate
We’ll travel from Edinburgh into the Highlands and on to the Isle of Skye, covering a fair amount of ground each day with plenty of stops to get out, explore and shoot. The weather here is famously unpredictable, so our plans may shift from day to day. That’s part of the magic: clouds and rain can roll in on a clear afternoon and bring dramatic light and some of the best shooting of the trip. Expect daytime temperatures in the mid 50s°F and nights in the high 30s.
Fitness & health
Because there is some light hiking involved in this trip, it is essential that you are actively fit and healthy. All hiking will be done at a relaxed pace, as we will have plenty of time to get to our locations.
Safety
Most locations we visit involve few difficulties to those with even low levels of fitness. Where walking over uneven terrain, slippery rocks or when standing near cliff edges is required, you will be properly briefed on the potential hazards.
The recommended arrival and departure airport for this photo adventure is Edinburgh Airport (EDI). We’ll meet at 11:00 am on Wednesday, April 21st at the Resident Hotel in Edinburgh, load the vans and head to the Highlands.
The photo adventure will end in Edinburgh on Thursday, April 29th and you can plan to depart at anytime on that day. Of course, you’re welcome to extend your stay to explore Edinburgh or perhaps travel elsewhere in the region.
We’ll meet our guides at 11:00am at the Resident Hotel in Edinburgh, load the vans and make our way to Glencoe in the Highlands. We’ll stop to photograph along the way at locations like the Falls of Dochart, which is excellent if there has been recent rainfall, or Kilchurn Castle, which is a superb spot when there is a reflection on the water. Later in the day, we’ll check in to our accommodations and gather at the hotel restaurant for a welcome dinner. We’ll spend the evening getting to know each other and talking about the adventure ahead.
Accommodation: Bridge of Orchy Hotel
Our hotel is in the heart of the Glencoe area, giving us good access to a variety of environments for the following morning. Glencoe is a large mountainous area, littered with great photographic subjects such as waterfalls, cute cottages, castles and lochs. We’ll have two full days to explore this amazing landscape.
Our itinerary will be determined by the weather conditions on the day, but we’ll be in the hands of local pro photography guides who will know the perfect locations for whatever conditions we are faced with. In general, we will aim to get out for a dawn shoot before breakfast and will then head out again around 11am for the remainder of the day. We’ll make our way to the town of Oban and go on the Oban whisky distillery tour. We’ll stay there to shoot sunset and then head back to the hotel for a relaxed late dinner.
Accommodation: Bridge of Orchy Hotel
After a local sunrise shoot in Glencoe, followed by a hearty Scottish breakfast, we’ll head for our next location and one of the most iconic landscape destinations in the world – the Isle of Skye. We’ll be on the road for around four hours but there will be several opportunities to stop along the way as we make our way up the scenic west coast, passing the iconic Eilean Donan Castle.
We’ll arrive at our hotel with time to check in, rest and have dinner before heading out to shoot sunset in the Sligachan area, just a 30 minute drive away. Sligachan is home to the UK’s most dramatic mountain range – the Cuillin.
Accommodation: Monkstadt Luxuty Lodge
We’ll head to one of the highlight locations of the trip – the Quiraing – for a dawn photo session before heading back to our hotel for breakfast.
We’ll then head to Talisker Bay – a horseshoe shaped beach of black volcanic sand where there will be countless options from wide angle scenes to close up macro shots, and from action photos of waves crashing to moody long exposure shots to smooth out the water.
Accommodation: Monkstadt Luxuty Lodge
On this day, we will aim to shoot sunrise from Skye’s most iconic landmark – the Old Man of Storr. To get to the best location requires a demanding 1 hour hike before sunrise. Since we’ll have two vehicles, we will offer a secondary view of the same location which is easily accessible to anyone not comfortable with the uphill trek.
In the afternoon we will head to the charming fishing village of Elgol, which offers amazing views of the Cuillin mountains rising straight out of the sea. There’s plenty here to give your creativity a workout. It’s a great place to use ND filters. If there’s time this evening, we’ll hold an optional image review session after dinner to discuss the challenges and successes of the trip so far.
Accommodation: Monkstadt Luxuty Lodge
Depending on the weather, we will shoot sunrise from either the Quiraing or the Sligachan area, which offers a lot of possibilities with mountains as a backdrop. We’ll then refuel with a traditional Scottish breakfast before heading to Neist Point – a remote lighthouse for a sunset shoot.
Accommodation: Monkstadt Luxuty Lodge
After breakfast we start the long drive back to Edinburgh, but we’ll break the journey stopping along the way wherever required. This will offer another opportunity to photograph Eilean Donan Castle (which changes drastically due to the tide), as well as Glencoe in the afternoon. We should arrive back in Edinburgh around 7pm for a farewell dinner and to recount the many stories and memories of the trip.
Accommodation: Dakota Hotel Edinburgh
On day nine we will wake in Edinburgh and say our goodbyes. You can take a quick taxi from our hotel to Edinburgh International Airport or perhaps stay a few more days to explore Scotland.
