From mountain and glen to the coastlines and rivers that have shaped life in Scotland, the fine detail of the country’s landscapes has been captured by Dundee photographer Shahbaz Majeed.
His new book, Scotland from the Air, lifts the lid on the form of our towns, villages and landmarks and how they sit perfectly in the land that surrounds them.
Majeed, a co-presenter of BBC Scotland series Landward, has travelled to all corners of the country to reflect its diverse and often spellbinding natural beauty - all from great height.
He said he wanted to bring together his aerial work from over the years, some which has been taken as he travels by helicopter with more recent images taken by drone.
Majeed said: “If only I could describe the feeling you get sitting in an open-door helicopter looking at the landscape all around you. It’s as if you’re seeing those views for the first time, every time. Whilst not one for standing on tall buildings and looking over the edge, something about it just feels so comforting and relaxing even though you are strapped into a metal box and every single thing is tied down!
“Perhaps it’s the surprising time spent planning those trips in so much detail that when it finally happens, it’s literally a breath of fresh air and adrenaline competing against each other. Your brain is trying to take it all in and you have to remember to actually use the camera and capture the views too.”
He said the drone had become more widely used in recent years given the cost of fuel and growing awareness of our carbon footprint.
But, he added, the experience of flying the drone does not come “even remotely close to how you feel experiencing it in person”.
Majeed said the images made an “emotional connection with the viewer”, with his photography and books soaring in popularity over lockdown. Even at home, people could visit places which seemed so very far aware.
The pull of the photographs “was even more important than ever” given the bombardment of so many visual works on social media.
“If your work can stand out amongst so much creative work, then it makes it all the more rewarding – for yourself and others,” he said.
His photographs, he added, were but a “fleeting glimpse” of what Scotland has to offer.
The photographer said his wife, Shazia, was still “amazed” that he had the energy to head out on location, sometimes dragging his whole family with them.
“When I suggest out of the blue that I think ‘I should drive up to Skye or Glen Coe’, setting off at 2am, she is still surprised that I am rarely joking,” he said.
“Working during the week, heading off to Skye on the weekend, down to Glasgow on Monday and then flying down to Birmingham on Tuesday, she regularly tells me she has no idea how I manage with such little sleep and simply my passion driving me.
“Yet she supports/puts up with me and without her, life would not be the same. How lucky can one person be?”
Scotland from the Air by Shahbaz Majeed is published by Amberley Books and is available now
1. As it flows from the Trossachs to the east coast and into the North Sea, the River Forth finds its way through Alloa.
As it flows from the Trossachs to the east coast and into the North Sea, the River Forth finds its way through Alloa. | Shahbaz Majeed Photo: Shahbaz Majeed
2. The manmade reservoir is hugged by the Ochil Hills.
The manmade reservoir is hugged by the Ochil Hills. | Frame Focus Capture Photography Photo: Shahbaz Majeed
3. Linlithgow Palace, the holiday home of the once great Stuart dynasty, presides over the loch as the town looks on.
Linlithgow Palace, the holiday home of the once great Stuart dynasty, presides over the loch as the town looks on. | Frame Focus Capture Photography Photo: Shahbaz Majeed
4. One of Scotland's most photographed mountains, the sight of Buachaille Etive Mor never fails to move.
One of Scotland's most photographed mountains, the sight of Buachaille Etive Mor never fails to move. | Shahbaz Majeed Photo: Shahbaz Majeed