Roots

Being a member of Clan Sutherland means that our clan seat is one of the finest buildings in Scotland, Dunrobin Castle. It is, however, tainted with so much blood and misery due to it’s place in the story of the Highland Clearances - by which time Clan Sutherland as was had become something else as the heir had married into southern aristocracy which brough “modern” ideas about agriculture very much at odds with the clan system that had stood for centuries. This doesn’t detract from the magnificent architecture of the castle’s final form - but it did influence how I photographed it. I went for a different angle from the usual and kept the woodland fringes and path dark and slightly forboding in contrast to the fairytale beyond. This is a photograph informed by history and may form part of my clearances project as I want to extend it beyond the common folk and include something of a visual contrast of the lives of those responsible for so much misery.

12th July 2026