Scotland couples portraits. The opportunity to photograph castles, glass lakes, mountains, waterfalls, some of the western worlds oldest cities, and plaid everything; You had me at Scotland! With Ryan’s love of  outdoors and my passion for history, we knew we would get there one day. Like most Canadian’s, Scotland is the home of our ancestors. The Rowell Family are descendants from the Smiths’ and they are the MacPherson Clan from the Stirling area. My maternal ancestors are MacDonald’s from the Isle of Skye. It meant a lot to us to be here in Scotland. But the honour was truly ours when our past clients Tara & Ryan asked us to travel with them for a week through the highlands of Scotland taking photos of them exploring the gorgeous landscapes that make up this tiny, yet overwhelming country. If you have been to our website at all in the last few years you will recognize these two lovers from their epic castle wedding in Prague, their Paris honeymoon photo shoot, and London, England pre-wedding engagement session and most recently featured in the Halloween post on our blog of Tara & Ryan in Edinburgh, Scotland.
Traveling as a group can be a challenge for some, but we have never felt that with Tara & Ryan. They are fantastic travel partners! The real secrets to adventurous travel are the same as the rules for improv comedy.
1. Agree.
2. Say Yes!
3. There are NO Mistakes, only Opportunities.
Every trip we have ever been on has one of those moments. Usually it happens when everyone is tired, and wavering about whether or not we should continue walking, driving, or if we should cram in just one more stop. Tara and I had been corresponding for months over the trip, where we should go for photos, and right down to where we will eat each meal. For us, trip planning is fun! So via Pinterest we found some great locations around the Isle of Skye for some unique Scotland couples portraits. The place was called the Fairy Pools. When we arrived, there was a giant mountain, parking lot, a huge valley and a sign that said Fairy Pools. No water in sight. In the online photos, the pools looked like little blue glittering springs, like something out of a Disney movie. In the far, far distance we saw some tiny people walking through the valley. From our elevation and distance away, we couldn’t even see a path. But we figured that we drove all this way and if we at least started walking towards the mountain we might find water nearby, and if not we would make the best of a beautiful place. As we walked for 25 mins into this valley, deeper and deeper, we could finally start to see a creek, and hidden from our view at the parking lot was a waterfall. As we continued to walk down a muddy path the creek started to get bigger and the water started to become more and more noticeable. Little pools of water set in between rocks, gushing water and little waterfalls would appear at every turn. Completely hidden within the valley, the fairy pools continued to pop up. On a sunny day I am sure they would have reflected a more magical colour, but it was such a treat to see even on an overcast day. We walked for about 45 mins, not seeing much beyond the first waterfall. My Ryan wanted to keep going, and the more chances we took, the better the pools got. Large enough to swim in at this point, we stopped to take some portraits. Our car, barely visible from the distance. The mountains surrounding us, and in the stark silence, the only sounds were of the trickling water from tiny waterfalls and our voices that couldn’t stop staying “Wow!”. It is one of the most unique spots we have ever seen, and one of life’s little choices that brought about big opportunities.
“Twenty years from now you will be more disappointed by the things that you didn’t do than by the ones you did do. So throw off the bowlines. Sail away from the safe harbor. Catch the trade winds in your sails. Explore. Dream. Discover.” Â – Mark Twain
Thank you Tara & Ryan for being amazing travel partners, again! We cannot wait to see the little adventures life will bring the two of you.
Cheers
& Ryan
In return for your patronage, you get a Lord/Ladyship. For the past 3 years, we are officially: Lord & Lady Rowell of Glencoe.
All the wood that built the house was brought in from Canada.
Stay tuned for one more Scotland post featuring my Ryan shooting and hiking around the Scottish Highlands in a kilt!