If you are looking for a “get away from it all” experience, then the islands that make up Uist are the place you want to be. With miles and miles of empty beaches to the west, quiet roads and an eastern wilderness of hills and moorland, combined with a lively warm community, the feeling of space from the wide open skies and being welcomed by friendly islanders will relax, rejuvenate and feed your soul.

Nestled between Lewis and Harris to the north and Barra and Varersay to the south, Uist is easily accessed by ferries from the mainland and from the other islands. Uist is the collective name commonly used for the islands that make up Uist (or The Uists). These are Berneray, North Uist, Grimsay, Benbecula, South Uist & Eriskay and despite all being linked by causeway each has their own story and character. Also included in this trip & sitting at the southern end of the island chain of the Outer Hebrides, is Barra and Vatersay. These 2 islands offer an exciting mix of contrasting island experiences with something on offer for everyone.

The workshop is designed to provide a balance of visiting a variety of locations which will include seeing the vast empty white sandy beaches of Berneray in the north to the most southerly inhabited island of the Outer Hebrides of Vatersay with it’s breathtaking island beauty. Included in this tour is the ferry ride across to Barra & Vatersay. Perched on the western edge of Europe, these beautiful & remote islands offer a remarkably diverse landscape that belies their tiny size. Barra’s western coastline is renowned for it’s white-sand beaches, turquoise waters which have earned the island the tongue in cheek moniker “Barrabados”

The Outer Hebrides is a magical place and a place which offers the photographer so much creative opportunities. And once visited, these Western Isles will stay with you for the rest of your life. They are dominated by the force of the weather and resemble very little to be found on the mainland. As a part of the “British” experience they are quite unique, and are much further from London and the centres of political power than can be measured in miles.

I am only running with a small number of places on this particular occasion which will allow everyone space to photograph and provide me much more time with each participant.

We will visit Eriskay, home to about 150 people, many of whom still work their crofts and fish the seas around the coast. Eriskay is famous for the unique Eriskay pony, the original horsepower of the Hebrides, of which there are only about 400 in the world. The stunning scenery of Eriskay was where Bonnie Prince Charlie landed in 1745 to begin his ill-fated military campaign to restore the Stuart dynasty to the British throne. We will stand on the beach named after him – a lonely stretch of white shell-sand offers a beautiful photograph. For such a small island, measuring only 5km long and 2km wide, it’s taste for lost causes is further enhanced by inspiring Compton MacKenzie to write his novel “Whisky Galore”. With over a quarter of a million cases of whisky, the ship SS Politician in 1941 ran aground nearby, invoking the ancient rights of salvage, the islanders of Eriskay “liberated” around 24,000 bottles. The island of Eriskay was awash with whisky and the subject of a 1948 film – “Whisky Galore”

For pure sensory pleasure, we will visit Berneray’s amazing beaches – which offer seascapes so stunning they were once mistaken for exotic Thai resorts by the country’s own tourism bosses! Choose between the exciting Beasdaire on the east coast and the three mile stretch of machair bordered wonderful white sand that is the West Beach which was voted in 2021 as no. 3 in Lonely Planet’s Top 20 Best Beaches in Europe! A photographer’s paradise.

Complimentary travel in my Ford Ranger Wildtrak around the island to such locations as:

• Berneray
• North Uist
• South Uist
• Eriskay
• Barra
• Vatersay

   

  These locations are subject to change by Dean Allan Photography Ltd in accordance with my Terms & Conditions.

  My Terms & Conditions are freely available to read on this website.

6 nights en-suite single occupancy double room en-suite accommodation in the Polochar Inn.

Free transport around the Islands in my 8 seater Ford Tourneo with ample room in the rear cab for all the photographic equipment.

Maximum of 3 Participants

6 days / 6 nights

Polochar Inn, South Uist HS8 5TT on Sunday 9th March 2025.

I am happy to collect any participants from a meeting place in Inverness at no extra charge. However, each participant will be responsible to cover their ferry costs.

Ferry Crossing, Travel Insurance, Main Meals, Drinks, Packed Lunches & other Expenses

You will learn…

• How to choose the right settings for each shot.

• How to Shoot in Manual

• How to meter and expose correctly

• How to use your Histogram

• How to focus properly

• How to compose your shot

• How to use fast and slow shutter speeds to be creative

• How to use Filters

Dean Allan is an Award Winning Landscape Photographer based in the Northern Highlands of Scotland