Landscapes

Tom Mackie shares his top 20 UK & Ireland shooting locations

It seems like a majority of the country will be planning a staycation this year and, looking at the news reports, travelling abroad seems to involve more hassle and stress than it’s worth. With so much to offer here in the UK and Ireland, it makes sense to explore what’s on our doorstep.

I’ve spent much of my career travelling the length and breadth of the British Isles looking for stunning landscape locations to photograph. In the days before the Internet, I would spend countless hours scouring through books and magazines looking for possible locations.

Then spend even more time travelling thousands of miles searching out these locations, some classic and some hidden gems. Now with social media platforms full of information, locations are easy to find. But to make it much easier for you, I’ve compiled a list of my 20 favourite landscape locations across these islands.

With so much to choose from, where will you go? Rugged mountains, tranquil lakes, vast moorlands or stunning coastline to name just a few of the diverse types of landscapes for you to capture. I’ve divided my list into five sections comprising Wales, Scotland, Ireland, and northern and southern England, with four of my favourite locations from each. It was difficult to narrow it down, so I based my decision on what the surrounding area also has to offer photographers. So what are you waiting for? Pack your bags, camera equipment and hand sanitizer!