Arcadia Scotland

“Arcadia” is the name for a beautiful mountainous area of Greece, but since the 18th century, the term is more broadly associated with pastoral, rural innocence and peace. In the time of crisis that these last months have brought, one of our students (Elijah Pettet) who has been studying at the University of Stirling this academic year has been documenting some of the landscapes of Scotland. Whilst exploring and climbing, when restrictions have allowed, he has been photographing the varieties of light and stunning beauty that Scotland has to offer. Eli also earns a living from his photography so please do not redistribute these images - you can see more of his work here  www.elijahpettet.com

All comments below are from Eli - 

“This photo was taken at sunrise on the east coast near the harbour town of Montrose. The movement of water has always been an interesting thing to photograph as it must either be frozen in time or fully motion blurred. There is no way to capture moving water the way we observe it in reality making each photo a novel experience after the shutter fires.”

“I took this on one of my first adventures into the Cairngorms, a wonderful rainy cold Scottish day perfect for photography and outdoor activities. Though that is said with an air of sarcasm I do find solace in the blanket-like nature of rainy Scottish days and the soft flat light makes for some interesting opportunities for photography such as this image. The soft glacial U shaped valley typical of Scotland backed with an eerie glow from the setting sun really gives this photograph a life and energy that would not be possible without the weather here.”

“I am an avid mountaineer and rock climber. The Wolfcraig quarry, a 20 minutes walk from campus, proves a perfect respite and gym unaffected by the virus. The place that I seem to return to regardless of the circumstances (photo taken in early fall with warmer weather obviously.)”

“My first day out of quarantine upon arrival in Scotland I decided to celebrate in the only way I know how, an adventure into the woods. Fall was just around the corner and only a few leaves had begun to turn. I was captured by this particular tree as it was surrounded in a sea of deep green that I had never seen before. Colorado where I have lived most of my lift is known for beautiful red sandstone and soaring granite mountains along with a hot and dry 300 days of sunshine a year, not exactly the rainforest of the United States. The color here in Scotland was one of the first things that took my breath away. This image just happens to capture a few of my favorites.”

“A classic Scottish landscape I took midway through a particularly harrowing bike ride starting at the university, going through Cambusbarron, looping around past Fintry, and returning via the A811.” 

“Taken at the harbor town of Montrose on the east coast of Scotland. I chose to take a short getaway here for no other reason besides there is a small town in Colorado near where I grew up with the name Montrose. Despite the rather silly reason I traveled there it ended up being a beautiful town with wonderful ocean views and a peaceful vibe.”

“A classic photo of a classic Scottish monument bathed in late afternoon lavender light.”

“Taken in Montrose a confusing perspective of a partially frozen tidal pool the mountains in the background are small volcanic intrusions on the rocky shore no larger than a meter in height.”

“Taken in Montrose a peaceful sunrise scene with a seagull flying."

“Early in the semester a few of the mountaineering club kids went on a treacherous trip into the Trossachs. we fought blistering wind, freezing temperatures and the first snow of the season (just our luck). Though this really proved Murphy's law it was breathtaking nonetheless and an experience I'm not soon to forget.”