“SENSES”
the HIGHLANDS SCOTland retreat 7-13th sep 2025 - FULLY BOOKED
14-20th sep 2025 - FULLY BOOKED
CREATIVE WRITING, FOREST BATHING, SOUND WORKSHOP, BOOK MAKING & PHOTOWALKS
Words, thoughts and invite from Neale James, presenter/producer of The Friday Photowalk. Pictures from Lynn Fraser with further photographs from attendees at the foot of the page from previous retreats.
I think of the Friday Photowalk edition as a safe thought-empowering community as much as a podcast. From shared photographic ideas and projects to conversations with those making pictures, to mental wellbeing and mindfulness; this community celebrates the stories, the moments, large or small and the feelings of those who take time to write, teach, show and be there for each other. Photography is more than a swipe and like, it’s a community of similarly-spirited creative people, for whom holding a camera brings a feeling of connectedness with and in the world.
We make our annual photographic pilgrimage to Scotland’s Black Isle, near the cultural city of Inverness, regarded as the capital of The Highlands, to stay on a working soft fruit farm with access to its own shop selling home-grown and local produce, within reach of the most beautiful historic landscapes.
Senses, The Scottish Photowalk Retreat celebrates the feeling our podcast brings to this community. It’s an opportunity to escape the noise and spend time with like-minded photographers.
We’ll be building on the empowering micro-workshops of 2024 to embrace creative retreat challenges, including producing a darkroom print, creative writing through a forest bathing experience, continuing our sound workshop to help you understand how sound can be a potent part of your storytelling, discuss book making, and enjoy a break away as we encourage, talk with, eat with, laugh with, and, of course, walk with each other.
There are five complete retreat days, though you are invited to arrive for a welcome supper on the 7th and leave well breakfasted following the final day on the 13th September.
Our planned week is outlined below, subject to weather for some activities. You’ll also find photographs made by those who spent time together in 2023 and 2024.
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DAY 1.
We meet up with our darkroom guru Matt Sillars, as we prepare for a Welcome Nature Walk photographing with film cameras (supplied), to make an art print the following day. Following lunch we travel to Black Water Falls, a location in the Highlands to make photographs. We’ll walk and spend time together photographing the beautiful scenery we’re blessed to be spending time in this week. Lochs, mountains, rivers and waterfalls all within reach of our lens.
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DAY 2.
A popular diary event now of our Scottish Photowalk Retreat, we spend a day in the Inverness darkroom, producing a classic black and white art print from our nature photo walk the previous day. Whether you have processed and printed this way or not, by the afternoon you will have enjoyed the experience of seeing your work come alive under a red light. It’s a rewarding day for all those attending and come the evening you’ll be ready for a Scottish supper.
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DAY 3.
Photography is a way of sharing our wonder for the world pictorially and emotionally, though articulating our experiences as short stories, prose, poems, or curated thoughts for social media is a skill seldom discussed in photographic circles. In the morning, we’ll be joined by author Merryn Glover, who writes fiction, drama, poetry and non-fiction, with work widely published and broadcast on the BBC.
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DAY 4.
As presenter and producer of The Photowalk podcast, I’d like to help you find the sound of your pictures. Working in radio and sound for 35 years, two decades alongside my work as a professional photographer, sound continues to be a pivotal part of my creative toolbox when creating and telling my photographic stories. I’ll be helping you to create a new storytelling skill combining stills and sound. During the afternoon, we’ll visit Rosehaugh Estate, where we’ll make a photographic soundscape.
DAY 5.
The Photowalk Retreat is an opportunity to enjoy time with like-minded friends and occasionally alone with your thoughts in the glens. We'll make pictures, talk about photography enveloped by and in the beautiful scenery we're blessed to be only a short drive away from, on our Black Isle base. The fifth day of the retreat is a day of relaxed photowalking, with a visit to Loch an Eilein in the Rothiemurchus Forest near Aviemore, before returning to our base for a farewell dinner where we'll share our favourite photographs of the week.Q&A TO COVER YOUR STAY.
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The Barn at Black Isle Berries, Tore, Muir of Ord, near Inverness, Scotland IV6 7SB. We’ll be staying on a working soft fruit farm with access to its own shop selling home-grown and local produce. See the accommodation pictures below.
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Even though the activity days are across five days, you are invited to arrive Sunday 7th September 2025 to enjoy some private time exploring, familiarise and find your retreat. Departure day is Saturday 13th September.
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The cost per place is £1,950. This includes a private bedroom, all workshops, transport to all activities, plus continental breakfast and evening meals. The deposit is £300. Extra Mile patrons and returning guests receive a £100 discount on the full price.
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Although car-sharing will be an option, if you bring your car to Inverness or hire one, you’ll have better freedom to explore in down time or if you wish to make some pictures outside our ‘together hours’. Inverness is easily accessible by rail and air. Arrangements can be made to meet you at either the airport or train station.
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With the World as it is, we are of course aware that complications from Covid or illness can cause issues. If I am incapacitated for any reason and unable to hold the retreat, the event will be refunded in full, although please ensure you are able to recoup your own travel expenses. If you are unable to attend due to Covid or other illness issues, your place can be refunded in full up to and including sixty days before your attendance.
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Bring the camera/kit you regularly enjoy using. A laptop or similar kit for editing is useful for our evenings discussing work. A tripod is handy for long-exposure photography opportunities. With access to a darkroom on the first day, you may wish to bring your own film camera, although we will supply one for those who shoot only digital usually.
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We’ll be spending time outside and in, plus we’ll be travelling to some remote areas where the wind can be brisker. September is now warmer on record of course, but still bring scarves, a thick jacket, sturdy photowalking shoes or boots. Bring rainproof options too, as we’re not allowing rain to stop play.
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The accomodation is wheelchair friendly for one ground floor room (with wet room). All facilities are on one-floor level. Transportation would need a level of planning and negotiation.
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Why of course! They are sadly not sold in the farm shop, so stock up upon your departure to meet us!
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Wi-Fi is available yes.
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As a member of the retreat yes, and a 10% discount is available on both places if paying full price on a shared room. Unfortunately we can’t cater for partners otherwise as it changes the dynamic of the group.
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Dogs unfortunately are not permitted on the farm or within its accommodation. Sir. Barkalot will not be making an appearance.
RESERVE YOUR PLACE.
Interested parties will be responded to within 48 hours of receiving reservation notice. If you require further information please call 01635 273181.
PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE 2023 RETREAT
The stunning black and white print made by John Grindle on darkroom day.
Judith McDermott uses a Lensbaby to make the stunning image in woodland.
Rainbows across the glen by Rajaram Bhagavathula.
A portrait of Rajaram Bhagavathula, out collecting film pictures for the darkroom session.
Cromarty Firth, where you can practically touch oil rigs as they are serviced. Photo by Mali Davies.
The floating leaf found on a morning walk by John Grindle.
The wonderlands by Mali Davies.
A study of a craftsman at work by Justin Clark.
A lone tree with a real rainbow! Photographed at Loch Maree by John Grindle.
Dew on the dawn walk. Kelly Mitchell.
A beautiful black and white picture at Fodderty Woodturning of craft in the making by Lynn Fraser.
Like a moonscape by John Grindle.
Justin Clark finds peace in the forestry of The Highlands.
Judith McDermott finds detail images at Fodderty Woodturners.
Neale James finds peace walking a local woodland to our base on the Black Isle.
Finding fungi and mushrooms out on an early morning walk by Kelly Mitchell.
A softness surrounds this delicious picture by Judith McDermott.
A picture of peace and tranquility made at Cromarty Firth by Justin Clark.
Mist over the mountains by John Grindle.
Lynn Fraser photographs Neale James chatting with Rajaram Bhagavathula on the Black Water walk, the scene where we made our film pictures for the darkroom adventure.
The mysterious stones of Clava Cairns, photographed by Justin Clark.
The beautiful magical lands of Scottish forestry photographed by Mali Davies.
Kelly Mitchell finds life in the understory.
A study of the understory by John Grindle.
Studying Ansgar the woodturner by Kelly Mitchell.
Morning dew during one of our forest bathing walks for early risers.
Black Water walk by Rajaram Bhagavathula.
Life in the undergrowth by Rajaram Bhagavathula.
A study of detail by Judith McDermott.
Watching Ansgar turn wood at Fodderty Woodturning by Justin Clark.
Lynn Fraser makes a picture of Judith McDermott making macro photographs on the trail.
Graphite rain by Mali Davies.
Softening the rivers with long exposure photograph by Rajaram Bhagavathula.
The smallest of detail by Rajaram Bhagavathula.
The wonderful buildings of Cromarty by Rajaram Bhagavathula.
PHOTOGRAPHS FROM THE 2022 RETREAT
Steve, Patrick and Neale discussing prints. Picture by Theodor Stana.
A lonely tree with dramatic skies by Lynn Fraser.
Urquhart Castle next to Loch Ness by Lynn Fraser.
A portrait of Chloe from Wild Gorse Studio by Theodor Stana.
Waterfall by Neale James, testing out tripod power and the inbuilt ND filter of the X100V.
Ansgar from Fodderty Woodturning by Theodor Stana.
Steve Brand photographing the beautiful lochs as evening falls. Picture by Lynn Fraser.
Always finding a street portrait. Picture by Paul Hutson.
Chloe from Wild Gorse Studios preparing flowers for a wedding. Picture by Andrea Gilpin.
Matt Sillars at Inverness Darkroom explaining how to load a film camera. Picture by Theodor Stana.
Lynn Fraser's study of Ansgar at Fodderty Woodturning.
Ansgar turning wood by Lynn Fraser.
Sunflowers at the Wild Gorse Studio by Andrew Gilpin.
Paul, Steve and Patrick making a photostory at Fodderty Woodturning by Lynn Fraser.
Andrea Gilpin's portrait of the artisan woodturner Ansgar.
Evening falling upon another day photographing by Neale James.
The unusual sight of an oil rig looming up just ahead of Cromerty's high street. Picture by Lynn Fraser.
Cromerty. Picture by Lynn Fraser.
A portrait of Ansgar by Theodor Stana.
The sun sets on a day photographing the lochs. Picture by Andrea Gilpin.
Cromarty café by Andrea Gilpin.
Paul Hutson finds forboding skies above the glen.
'Car' surveys Scotland's wonderful glens. Picture by Andrea Gilpin.
A portrait of Catherine from Wild Gorse Studio by Theodor Stana.
Steve, Patrick, Neale and Paul share time talking about making pictures. Picture by Theodor Stana.
The fruit farm at our lodgings. Picture by Andrea Gilpin.
Thedi and Andrea study negatives produced ahead of printing. Picture by Neale James.
Ansgar, photographed by Paul Hutson.
Three of the team look over the bay at Cromarty, out to an imposing oil rig, brought for servicing. Picture by Andrea Gilpin.
Patrick studies a print he made of fellow photowalker Steve, by Neale James.
Neale James makes a photograph of Ansgar at work in his woodturning studio.
Paul sheltering as the midges descend early in the evening by Loch Maree.
Andrea, Lynn, Patrick and Steve shooting in the highlands. Picture by Neale James.
Wild gorse by Andrea Gilpin.
Chloe preparing a button hole for a wedding photographed by Andrea Gilpin.
Chloe from Wild Gorse Studios, a portrait by Paul Hutson.
Lonely windswept tree by Paul Hutson.
Where vehicles retreat to retire. Picture by Andrea Gilpin.