The daredevil photographer who captured Scotland from the skies a century ago

His daredevil techniques helped capture some of the most remarkable images of Scotland even taken from the skies.

Alfred Buckham survived nine crashes during a military career as a reconnaissance photographer then won global acclaim thanks to his work with clouds, aircraft, landscapes and seascapes.

Now a new major new exhibition in Edinburgh is to show how combined his twin passions of photography and flight to blaze a trail 20th century photography.

Alfred Buckham's image of Edinburgh from the skies dates from 1920.

The National Galleries of Scotland will be honouring Alfred Buckham, who was stationed at Turnhouse in Edinburgh and Rosyth in Fife during the war.

A forthcoming exhibition which will recall how he preferred to work in older planes with open cockpits, refused to use a safety belt and would stand up, with his right leg tied to his seat, to try to capture the clearest possible image.

Buckham was even said to have sought out extreme weather conditions to make his work more dramatic.

However the show, which opens at the Portrait Gallery in Edinburgh next year, will also show how he cleverly manipulated negatives of his images to produce his final print, even painting in aircraft by hand in some of them.

Alfred Buckham's image of The Forth Bridge dates from 1920.

The National Galleries said the exhibition, Alfred Buckham: Daredevil Photographer, would show how the photographer’s techniques would be pave the way for moder-day innovations Photoshop and artificial intelligence.

Buckham, who was born in London in 1879, embarked on a photographic career in 1905 after abandoning ambitions to become a painter, within a few years had won more than 30 awards for his work and joined the Royal Naval Air Service in 1917. He was discharged two years later, after his most serious crashed which resulted in the loss of his voice box.

In a tribute to Buckham’s work on its website, the National Galleries said: “While recovering from surgery, Buckham started making photo-montages, combining two or three photographs he had taken to compose a single image.

"He would look for a sky which complemented the city or landscape below, and even add tiny planes to create the look of a one-shot photograph.

One of Alfred Buckham's old cameras will be featuring in the forthcoming National Galleries of Scotland exhibition.

"It is clear then that Buckham’s photographs are not the result of a single, breath-taking moment in time but instead are a carefully crafted piece of art.

"He was using known photographic techniques, but created a style which was very much his own."

Other major shows being staged by the National Galleries next year include a celebration charting 50 years of work by the Dumfriesshire-based artist and sculptor Andy Goldsworthy.

More than 200 works, including new installations, will be brought together for a major show, which will open at the Royal Scottish Academy building in Edinburgh in July.

The Modern Two gallery will be playing host to a show marking the centenary of the late Ian Hamilton Finlay, which will explore his work across poetry, sculpture, installation and prints.

More than 100 objects will be brought together at the Portrait Gallery from April for an exhibition devoted to King James VI of Scotland – the son of Mary, Queen of Scots, who would become one of the nation’s most long-standing monarchs.

National Galleries director-general Annie Lyden said: “Whether you want to be inspired, find a moment of calm or share a joyful experience with friends there's so much to discover in our 2025 programme.”