Project Info

Highlanders is a long-term photographic project that examines Scottish culture, traditions and identity across the world. There is a romantic quality to Scotland, its people, its traditions, and its identity that travels far beyond the borders.

After completing my studies and most formative years in Scotland, I moved back to the Alps where I found that the fondness of the Scottish identity was not just shared by myself, but also by some quite active clubs and societies across Austria, Germany, and Switzerland. Highland Games, Military Tattoos, Burns Supper, they are as readily available as they are enthusiastically organised. There are quite some common traits that I have noticed between the Scots and the Germanic speaking parts of the Alps: A sense of place and people connected to the landscape. An identity based on community and traditions, as well as a proud bit stubbornness and encompassing warmth.

This series – currently still work in progress – examines the nature of what’s common and what’s different in this shared love for Scotland, putting the focus on the people who lovingly embrace and celebrate Scottish culture.