Auchindrean

AVAILABLE TO BUY:

• Framed Print
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• Poster

Auchindrean is a tiny crofting settlement south of Ullapool, Scotland lying close to the southern shore of Loch Broom.

This view, taken from the south, shows the River Broom in the foreground meandering through the valley towards the sea loch. It’s unusual for me to show any kind of human habitation in one of my photographs, but this image (as well as being one of my favourite views in Scotland) shows a traditional means of humans living in harmony with the land that is all but eradicated in most of the UK mainland. The glacial origin of the valley is clearly visible from this view and it’s likely that human activity has been present in this area for most of the time since the glaciers retreated during the early Holocene period (around 10,000 years ago).

When we think about environmental conservation, we often conjure images to mind of unspoiled, undiscovered landscapes, but for me a more powerful symbol of our current responsibility to our planet is a scene like this: Crafted by natural forces, tended by humans, but remaining unscarred.