Rattray Head Lighthouse

I must confess to having a penchant for lighthouses and it is fair to say that we are fortunate to find so many around the British coastline all the way from the most southerly Lizard Lighthouse up as far as the most northerly off the Shetland Isles called Muckle Flugga.

However, the one that I always wanted to capture was Rattray Head Lighthouse located in the North Sea off the Northeast coast of Aberdeenshire. I had seen many images of this historical structure on social media, but I was inspired to create my own image using long exposure. I had previously visualised my journey along the Northeast coast taking in the scenery. For some reason, I imagined it was a case of turning off the main road and arriving at the beach to set up. This was most certainly not the case as I found myself on one of the bumpiest single-track roads, I have experienced in all my years of driving. There was no way of turning around and no passing places in sight so I prayed that another vehicle did not appear up ahead otherwise one of us would have to reverse back and begin all over again! Thankfully, I made it to the end and after parking up on an uneven grassy bank, I found there was a fence to climb over before negotiating a further walk towards the beach. As I walked towards the beach, the wonderful Rattray Head lighthouse came into view, and I was so grateful to have finally arrived.

I recall how cold and windy it was on the North Sea coast and so I attempted to find my composition quickly because I felt the cold wind biting at my fingers. I feel so blessed being a photographer travelling to different locations capturing the scene with each one telling a story and giving me the opportunity to connect with the world around me. In the case of Rattray Head, as I described above, I took a very tricky trajectory to capture and create a long exposure image which brings a sense of calm and serenity to me which I hope resonates with you too.

Rattray Head Lighthouse Scotland