Published in Scotland Magazine Issue 24 on 05/01/2006.

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The Isle of Harris

Photographer Andy Hall captures the favourite place of the Queen’s artist

These rocks are the oldest rocks in the world, Lewisian gneiss, looking across the Golden Road on the east coast of the Isle of Harris, towards Scalpay and in the far distance, the Shiant Islands.

I took this shot for my recently published A Sense of Belonging to Scotland: Further Journeys.

It is the favourite place of Queen’s artist, Dame Elizabeth Blackadder who wrote an inspirational letter of introduction to this place describing the atmosphere as well as the geology of the area, often imagining eagles flying overhead.

To get to this location from my home town of Stonehaven is an expedition and a half. I made the return journey in April 2004 but, despite getting some lovely beach shots on the west coast, this photograph eluded me.

I managed one or two presentable pictures but they didn’t come near to doing this unusual and geologically significant place justice. So back I came in April 2005.

For much of the time it looked like my trans–Scotland trek would again be in vain but on my second last evening, it all came together in perfect unison, only for a few minutes. I’d set up the composition several days previously.

I wanted this fabulous rock in the foreground to give the picture depth, the third dimension that is often missing in a photograph. Essentially a photograph is a two dimensional representation. The third dimension of depth has to be recreated by including a well thoughtout foreground such as a rock, a rock-pool or perhaps a lead-in line like a river or a.....

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By Andy Hall

Section : Scenic Scotland

Page number : 14