LANDSCAPE PHOTOGRAPHY TOUR OF THE CAIRNGORMS

Landscape Photography Tour in the Cairngorms National Park

7 Days | 25 October 2026 – 31 October 2026 (4 places left)

The Cairngorms National Park is one of Scotland’s best-kept secrets for landscape photography. That’s why internationally award-winning fine art and conservation photographer Garth Lenz is leading this exclusive photo tour for Nature Talks.

Just an hour from Inverness, the Cairngorms is the largest national park in the UK and home to five of Scotland’s six highest mountains. Its dramatic landscapes range from granite peaks and ancient volcanic formations to glacial remnants left behind by the Ice Age. Most importantly, it contains the largest surviving areas of the ancient Caledonian Forest. It’s no surprise that National Geographic named the Cairngorms one of the world’s top 20 places to visit. Our November tour dates are perfectly timed to capture the park’s stunning autumn colours, with golden leaves, amber grasses and beautiful Highland light.

Are you a passionate landscape photographer who loves dramatic light, ancient forests and nature’s autumn colours? Then join Garth Lenz, National Geographic photographer, on this Nature Talks photography trip.

Cairngorms National Park: Ancient Forests, Autumn Colour & Highland Wildlife

Cairngorms National Park offers intimate native woodland landscapes, lochs and lochans glowing with peak autumn colour, and a remarkable diversity of wildlife and landforms.

Unique to Scotland, the ancient Caledonian Forest once covered much of the country. These native pinewoods are a rich mix of Scots pine, juniper, birch, willow, yew, rowan and aspen, famed for their huge, twisted “granny” pines that can survive for centuries. The blend of deciduous and coniferous woodland, reflected in countless lochs and lochans and illuminated by autumn colour, creates extraordinary opportunities for expressive landscape photography.

These forests are home to red squirrels, Scottish wildcats, golden eagles, red deer and pine martens, alongside rarer species such as capercaillie and the Scottish crossbill. Reindeer, extinct in the UK for 8,000 years, were reintroduced to the Cairngorms in the early 1950s. Today, they form the UK’s only free-ranging herd, and we will have the opportunity to photograph these iconic animals in their natural Highland environment.

On Location with National Geographic Photographer Garth Lenz

This is a rare opportunity to travel and photograph alongside internationally acclaimed, award-winning conservation photographer Garth Lenz. Throughout the tour, Garth will offer personal guidance, answer your questions, and provide valuable feedback on your photography — an exceptional addition to the experience.

A National Geographic photographer and Senior Fellow of the International League of Conservation Photographers — an organisation representing some of the world’s leading wildlife and conservation photographers — Garth is recognised globally for his fine art photography and powerful environmental storytelling. His work has appeared in many of the world’s most prestigious publications, and he brings a wealth of experience in both conservation and narrative photography.

He will guide you to his favourite photographic locations throughout the Cairngorms while helping you refine your creative vision and produce striking images of this remarkable landscape. Passionate about helping photographers grow creatively, Garth is dedicated to encouraging participants to push their photography to new levels.

This tour is particularly well suited to nature and landscape photographers with some experience who are looking to further develop and strengthen their work.

Autumn Light in the Ancient Caledonian Forest

In late October and November, the Cairngorms National Park is transformed by the rich colours of autumn. Golden birch woodland, mirror-like lochs and lochans create a landscape of exceptional beauty. Finely sculpted mist often envelops still waters, while ancient Scots pines — some standing for over three centuries — rise like sentinels against glowing autumn sunsets. At this time of year, light and atmosphere combine to produce conditions unique within the UK. It is not unusual for the higher peaks to carry an early dusting of snow, adding further drama to the scene.

Our main photographic focus will be the ancient Caledonian Forest, one of Europe’s largest remaining native forests and one of Scotland’s most important habitats for biodiversity. This remarkable woodland of Scots pine, birch, rowan, yew, willow, aspen and juniper offers endless opportunities for creative photography, from sweeping forest landscapes to intimate details and abstract studies in colour, texture and light.

Whether you are drawn to dramatic vistas, quiet woodland moments or reflections of autumn colour in still Highland waters, inspiration can be found around every corner in this extraordinary wilderness.

Meet your Photography Guide

Garth Lenz is a fine art photographer, environmental photo journalist, public speaker, and workshop leader based on the West Coast of Canada. His assignments and publication credits include some of the most prestigious editorial and art publications, including National Geographic (see Garth Lenz in Nat Geo here), GEO, Time, Esquire, The Guardian, Canadian Geographic, The Walrus, Natur, The New York Times and many others. A sought-after speaker and storyteller, Lenz has been invited to speak at The New York Times, the European Parliament, the universities of Oxford, Cambridge, New York and Harvard, the Royal Geographical Society and the Natural History Museum in London, among others. His Ted Talk, The True Cost of Oil, has been translated into 24 languages and received over 900,000 views.

More about Garth.

What We Offer You

• A week of landscape photography in the Cairngorms National Park, guided by internationally acclaimed fine art and environmental photojournalist Garth Lenz.
• The opportunity to deepen your photography through storytelling and narrative-led image making, with direct guidance, feedback and support from Garth throughout the trip.
• Capture the atmosphere and colour of peak autumn in the UK’s largest and wildest national park.
• We explore mountains, ancient forests, glens, lochs and moorland from sunrise to sunset, working with constantly changing conditions of light, weather, wind and rain.
• You will develop creative techniques and learn how to introduce greater variety and intention into your images.
• Accommodation is in a rural, atmospheric lodge, fully aligned with a photographer’s schedule.
• In the evenings, we review images from the day, discuss editing and post-processing techniques, and enjoy a presentation by Peter Cairns — renowned photographer, long-time Cairngorms resident, and Executive Director of the conservation organisation Scotland: The Big Picture.
• A pre-trip participant meeting is also included.

Is This Trip Right for You?

• You see this trip as a unique opportunity to photograph alongside acclaimed photographer Garth Lenz in the rugged, colourful landscapes of the Scottish Highlands.
• It is particularly well suited if you want to develop your creativity and strengthen your approach to storytelling and narrative photography under expert guidance.
• You have a strong interest in the native forest landscapes of the Cairngorms, its associated wildlife, and experiencing peak autumn colour in Scotland at its best.
• You enjoy working in rapidly changing conditions — shifting light, rain, sun and wind — and see this as part of the creative challenge.
• You are keen to learn more about interpreting light, using filters, and applying photographic and post-processing techniques in the field.
• You value photographing in a small group of like-minded photographers.
• Travel time is kept efficient to maximise time in the field.
• Accommodation is based on shared twin rooms, with single rooms available for a small additional supplement.