I am just back from a crazy trip to Keiss in Caithness to photograph a leaking oil tank. But it was lovely to be back in that far north-eastern corner of the Highlands, it’s a place that I forget I love until I get back there - it reminds me a lot of Orkney which is part of it! I also have a lot of connections to the land with many of the family originating there, so perhaps that is a part of it too!
One place I have never been, however, is Keiss Harbour. The village itself is somewhere I have passed through numerous times - but never stopped. It is a pretty small village close to Wick so if I am going to stop off it is usually that bit further down the road (or if heading the other way I am almost at Gills Bay for the ferry so no need to pause!). The harbour is lovely though, and there are a lot of ruins ranging from brochs to castles, cairns to crofts, all dotted around the area begging to be explored.
I think I need to head back up here when I have time! It gets under your skin in a different way to the more majestic scenes elsewhere. It is more of a human landscape, or a more obviously human landscape… and an ancient one at that.
The plan was to stop for some thoughtful scenes at Badbea, which is a haunting place almost on the Caithness/Sutherland border. The light had other ideas though and was fading fast already by 2.30pm as I passed. There was no contrast to be had and a flat sky which offered little in the way of photographic interest and certainly didn’t provide the drama I want for that shoot so that is one to return for at some stage.
I didn’t come away empty handed though and have a few frames from the day on film that I will process very soon!
9th November 2026
