Cairngorm mountains: New photography book tells the story of people and landscape in one of Scotland's national parks

Ed Smith’s adventurous spirit and extensive experience in extreme sports means that he can reach parts of nature that isn’t always so easy to see.

One of Mr Smith's photos called 'Island skies, Meall a' Bhuachaille' (pic: Ed Smith)

From Aurora hunting under dark night skies to pastel-coloured cloud inversions releasing that top of the world feeling, an award-winning adventure photographer has documented life and landscape in one of Scotland’s national parks in a new book.

East Lothian-born Ed Smith has curated the 80-page album of photos and text, titled Northern Cairngorms, to capture the bewitching views and perilous experiences he has faced in the mountain range while living in the Highland town Kingussie.

For the 37-year-old, the story behind his debut book began in 2016 when he got the keys to a disused Co-op building in the town’s High Street.

The photographer often heads out in harsh winter conditions to capture a unique shot of nature at her best (pic: Ed Smith)

Living in the former shop manager’s office above, Mr Smith converted the derelict building into a gallery – Eleven41 – reinstating many of its original features from when the building was erected in 1879.

The space plays a crucial role in the regeneration of the Highland town, but it has also been a base for the photographer to set out from with his camera to document his own perspective of life and landscape in the Northern Cairngorms.

Speaking to The Scotsman, Mr Smith talked about one of his unique experiences in the Scottish mountain range which produced one of his most arresting images to date.

“Once I bivvied out on the summer solstice on the top of the northern corries of the Cairngorms to see what the sunrise was doing. All around the Cairngorm plateau was just cloud below me.

Sometimes to capture the landscape at its best means setting out in a storm to capture the moment it clears at the peaks, or when a storm is due to see the clouds rolling in above the plateau (pic: Ed Smith)

"I was on top of the crags and I photographed across to the hill called Meall a’ Bhuachaille, which is above Loch Morlich, and it looked like an island among a sea of cloud with a pink and orange sunrise filling the sky above this cloud inversion.”

Formerly ranked among the world’s top ten whitewater kayakers and the son of an outdoor instructor, Mr Smith is no stranger when it comes to adventure.

And this is apparent in his photography book. Divided into four sections - Plateaus and Peaks, Amongst the Clouds, Water and Ice and Forest and Foliage, there are some 70 images of varying landscape and weather conditions.

"The most dramatic shots of mountains and wilderness is not necessarily when it’s blue skies – that doesn’t always paint the realistic picture,” he said.

The edge of a cloud inversion on the fringes of Abernethy Forest (pic: Ed Smith)

"A lot of the best images of the environment and landscape are either taken when setting out in stormy conditions so that you arrive when it’s cleared so you’re the first person there with the fresh snow on the ground with no footprints. Or you’re going up ahead of an incoming storm and you see the drama of the cloud unfolding.

"A quirk of the Cairngorm plateau and its geography is that you can see massive clouds rolling in, almost like a sandstorm."

One of the challenges Mr Smith encountered on his many photography expeditions included being forced to change route on Ben Macdui at sunrise in late winter because of “bulletproof hard ice” in his path.

Other inconveniences have included his eyebrows completely freezing over.

Ed Smith has been living in and photography life in the Northern Cairngorms for the last seven years (pic: Ed Smith)

"It’s a very weird sensation, you can feel them crisping up.”

Mr Smith said there is a collection of images in his book that he would not describe as particularly award-winning, but that are an important addition to the narrative. One of these includes an image of his own backpack resembling a block of ice – a reminder of some of the perilous conditions the intrepid photographer finds himself in to capture nature at her most interesting moments.

“Selecting the images for the book, I wanted to get a balance of the core photos, but then also ones that show the experience and tell the story,” he said.

He was quick to add that he doesn’t want to inspire storm chasers.

Growing up with relatives as outdoor instructors and having spent most of his working life out in nature be it through kayaking or adventure photography, Mr Smith said he is glued to weather charts and approaches his trips with a well-educated outlook.

As well as photography, the book includes splashes of text from the photographer himself describing his experiences aurora-chasing under dark skies with limited to no light pollution, and his recent portrait project, “Characters of the Cairngorms” through which he provides insight into the cultural connection of individuals and communities within the landscape of the mountain range.

"The landscape of the Cairngorms is very well documented, but inevitably there is a huge connection between the land and the people who live in it,” he said.

"Through these portraits, which is an ongoing project, it’s about looking at the variety of roles that people have and play within it.

“It ranges from young instructors at the national outdoor training centre through to rangers on the local estates who are absolutely ingrained within every inch of the area they work in, to the legacy of older generations like local explorers including Myrtle Simpson who lives here.”

Known as “the mother of Scottish skiing”, the 93-year-old was the first woman to ski across Greenland on an unsupported expedition.

"She’s inspired a generation of younger women who have got into outdoor sports,” Mr Smith continued.

"Those are just examples of what is a vast variety of characters with connections to the land. People here are intrinsically looking one way or another to the landscape because of its influence on the day-to-day life. It doesn’t matter what you do or who you are, you are living in an environment that is much bigger than you.”

And Smith’s reason for choosing to be in the Northern Cairngorms?

"Living in the Cairngorms is an absolute gift to a photographer and I want to be here to share the stories and connections that I have found in this place,” he said.

“Some of it relates to that element of escapism, to get into the wilderness, but equally it’s a place where I can share my passion for its landscape and people with others through my work.

"I want people to have that sense of wonder seeing my photographs and think ‘imagine seeing that with your own eyes – we should go hiking.’

"It would be incredibly rewarding if people have an urge to go out into the wilderness and experience it safely and leaving no trace after reading this book.”

Mr Smith’s photographs from his book will be exhibited at Eleven41 from Friday when copies go on sale.

They are also available for pre-order on his website.

£2 from the sale of each book will be donated to the Cairngorm Mountain Rescue Team.