Cairngorm Mountain Walk

Inspired by The Living Mountain: A Celebration of the Cairngorm Mountains of Scotland by Nan Shepherd, this installation reflects the multiple and contrasting ways the Cairngorm landscape is encountered through walking.

At altitude, the mountain holds extremes in close proximity: delicate upland flora alongside hard rock faces; the movement of birds and insects against vast, sweeping landforms. This work translates those layered experiences into a spatial, immersive installation that unfolds like a walk through the Cairngorms.

The installation traces a route through different mountain zones, moving from upland meadow, through waterfall and ascent, across the high plateau, and down into a remote, craggy clearing. Each section responds to the material and sensory qualities of that part of the landscape.

The work consists of:

Upland meadow: over 3,500 individual prints made directly from botanicals

The plateau: Indian ink monoprints

Stag rocks: ink and charcoal drawings

Sound: field recordings of waterfall, wind, rocks, and ptarmigan

Together, these elements create a slow, attentive encounter with mountain terrain, inviting viewers to experience landscape through duration, material presence, and movement rather than representation alone.