Skye Commercial Photography Has A Hide in Knoydart

Knoydart House is a large and shiny jewel in the West Highland holiday home crown. A large, state of the art, stylish and carefully designed purpose built retreat for 10 people to stay in utter comfort amongst the remote beauty of the Knoydart peninsula. We have long admired it and it’s presence on social media. Jackie, who owns and runs Knoydart House with her husband Ian, has skilfully managed the House’s image. She has created the perfect image of luxury and comfort.

It was not lomg after the opening of the House we started to hear stories about a new house – The Knoydart Hide. It would be a smaller but no less luxurious companion to the House. While the House could accommodate many the Hide would be a secluded and stylish accommodation for two.

We watched with interest as the build progressed (on Facebook and Twitter of course). Then as the Hide was almost completed we received an email from Jackie asking if we could create some images of the hide for it’s website.

Daft question.

Soon I was struggling onto a Calmac ferry from Armadale to Mallaig carrying what felt like a tonne and a half of camera and lighting equipment as a foot passenger. This was because after arriving in Mallaig I would continue my struggle round the harbour to the Knoydart sea Bridge ferry that would take me to Inverie on the peninsula. There is no vehicular access to Knoydart. Everything arrives by boat.

I would, if I could, wax lyrical about the spectacular views from the ferry into Knoydart but I was sitting in the last seat available on the boat and couldn’t see out. The first glimpse I had of Knoydart was of a pier lined with Landrovers. Everybody seems to have a Landrover in Knoydart and everybody seemed to be here to meet the ferry. Or were they all there to meet me? No, they were all there to pick up or drop off and had no interest in me. Except for Jackie who helped me bundle my mounds of gear into the back of her Landy and we set off for an adventure in the remotest village in Scotland.

A hundred yards later we pulled up outside their house and I was introduced to her husband Ian as the kettle went on. We settled down to a thoroughly Highland conversation, grumbling about septic tanks.

The Hide is up in the hill behind Inverie looking out over Loch Nevis. Close enough to the village to make the commute to the pub a short stroll and secluded enough to hardly know that the village existed.
Wonderfully designed and fantastically appointed it is a photographers dream. Huge amounts of natural light and Jackie’s perfect choice of vintage furnishings make it an exceptional location in which to point a camera.

When I arrived there were what seemed like a platoon of people cleaning and tidying, actually it turned out there were only two but they were hustling and bustling so much that it seemed to me that there were loads of them.

This is the bit that had worried me. I was to stay in the Hide as well as photograph it. I am not the neatest or tidiest of people. My attention to and ability in being spick and span is not very good. I would have to be very careful not to touch, move, smudge, wrinkle or use anything before photographing it. No pressure. The bed was so well made I seriously considered sleeping on the floor…

I immediately started capturing the beauty of the Hide. beginning with the bedroom, before I made the bed wrinkly…