A view across the Minch from the Shiant Isles in the Outer Hebrides – one of the most regal, magnifcent places I’ve encountered
The Best of British
I’ve always had a great passion for the British Isles, and have photographed them all my life. I wanted to see what would happen if, rather than short trips out, I travelled from oneplace to another, linking them up – so I set off on a six-month tour of the landscapes of Britain with my family. Travelling by campervan, we started in Shetland on the spring equinox, heading on a circular route down the west coast of Scotland, through Wales and England, and up and out to the Western Isles. We spent about a week in each place, staying in felds and campsites, and never knew where we were going next – I wanted the trip to have a serendipitous feel. The idea was to ask people where they thought we should go next; on the whole I went to places I hadn’t been to before. Though the trip had its moments, such as keeping buoyant in Yorkshire after the 16th day of rain in a row, it was nothing but pleasure. It’s extraordinary how diverse the British Isles are, from the fat and marshy east coast to the golden, confrontational west; in Shetland it was -15°, while in the south the summer was the hottest for 100 years. And the UK landscape has a human element to it that I love – there are plenty of places to go and be quiet, but it’s not wilderness. You can go to the northwest tip of Scotland and feel miles from anywhere, and yet still be steeped in human history. It was a huge privilege and joy to be able to explore the country like this.