The romanticism of the Scottish wilderness
Image copyright
Kevin Percival
Tanera Mor is the largest island in the Summer Isles archipelago, clusters of land that are part of the Scottish Highlands.
The island is not consistently inhabited, but is populated by a revolving group of holidaymakers, fishermen and artists.
In 2012, photographer Kevin Percival moved to the island and spent two years living there seasonally; eight months on, four months off.
He has returned every year since to continue documenting island life.
Image copyright
Kevin Percival
Image copyright
Kevin Percival
Image copyright
Kevin Percival
Percival photographed people from different backgrounds, for whom the island was a strong presence within their lives.
He said: "The island takes on very different roles for each person.
"For artists and writers, it is a gateway to contemplation or inspiration. For the scallop divers, creelers and fish-farmers, it is their living."
Image copyright
Kevin Percival
Image copyright
Kevin Percival
Image copyright
Kevin Percival
By photographing the landscapes, people and details that contribute to the fabric of the island, Percival hopes to show a "portrait of place".
He uncovers the rich past of an island that served as a Viking burial ground and the subject of naturalist Frank Fraser Darling's 1940 book, Island Years, and was a centre for herring fishing.
"I felt in a privileged position; neither outsider, nor truly local resident," Percival said, "engaged in the community in a way, but still able to access a degree of objectivity."
Image copyright
Kevin Percival
Image copyright
Kevin Percival
Image copyright
Kevin Percival
Percival used black-and-white film because he found that the lack of colour better emphasised the traces of the landscape.
"I also love using film because it slows me down," he said. "It makes me really look at a scene and work through different compositions in my head."
Image copyright
Kevin Percival
Image copyright
Kevin Percival
Photographs by Kevin Percival will be on display at the Rhue Gallery, Ullapool, until 24 August. You can find out more about the project here.
