Published by Alex Nail Publishing, £49, hardback and available from alexnail.com
THE VAST AREA of mountainous country that makes up the Letterewe and Fisherfield Forests in the NW Highlands of Scotland has long been known as the Great Wilderness. It’s spectacular, rugged and remote, and has some of the finest scenery in the UK. Alex Nail set out to produce a photographic account of this challenging region. He succeeded magnificently. This book is a stunning collection of breath-taking images that capture the landscape in all seasons and all moods.
Photographing these mountains is not easy. The terrain is rugged and the distances long. In the Introduction the author says he walked around 420 miles, usually with a heavy pack, and spent around 50 nights camping in remote locations. Many camps were on or near summits, even in winter. The Scottish weather meant that not all trips were a success, with low cloud, rain and strong winds sometimes ending any hope of decent photographs. The dreaded midges made an appearance too. Alex says he hasn’t tried to show the statistically likely conditions, which would mean many grey skies, but the area at its most resonant. It required true dedication and much patience to take the dramatic images in The Great Wilderness.
The heart of the book lies in the splendid photographs, and many hours
