Favourite Landscape Locations in the UK for Photography

Introduction to Our Favourite Landscape Locations for Tours

The United Kingdom packs an unusual range of landscapes into a small area, which is part of why it's such a popular destination for travel and landscape photographers. From the rugged mountains of Scotland to the coastlines of Cornwall, there's a wide range of locations to photograph. In this article, we cover our eight favourite landscape photography locations in the UK, recommended by our guides. Whether you're a beginner or an experienced photographer, these locations offer real opportunities to capture strong landscape shots.

Which Type of Photography Are You Looking For?

All 8 Locations at a Glance

Best Months to Visit: Seasonal Photography Calendar

Why Photography is so Popular in the UK

Britain packs an unusual amount of landscape into a small island. Within a single day's drive you can go from Highland peaks to still lake reflections, from a Neolithic stone circle to a fossil-strewn coastline. Add weather that turns by the hour and you get a country where the same viewpoint rarely gives you the same photograph twice. That's why photographers keep going back to places they already know.

There's a strong photography community here too. Workshops, camera clubs, and exhibitions run all year, and it's easy to find people who'll give you honest feedback on your work. Between the landscape, the history, and the people, Britain is a straightforward country to take pictures in.

Overview of the UK's Various Terrain and Landscape Photography Locations

The range of terrain is what makes the UK worth working. Scotland gives you mountains and sea lochs. The Lake District gives you still water and fells. The Jurassic Coast gives you limestone arches and 185 million years of geology. Add Stonehenge on Salisbury Plain, the waterfalls of the Vale of Neath in Wales, and Glencoe in the Highlands, and most of what a landscape photographer needs sits inside a few hundred miles.

Each of the eight below is covered in detail: what's there to photograph, when to go, and what you'll need with you.

If you're considering aerial shots at any of these spots, read our guide to flying drones in the UK first, as the rules are stricter than most photographers expect.

Sunrise at the Old Man of Storr, one of Scotland's most photographed locations

Skye sits off the northwest coast of Scotland and carries more photographic subjects per square mile than anywhere else in Britain. Sea cliffs, mountains, lochs, and waterfalls, often within twenty minutes of each other. The geology does most of the work: the Old Man of Storr and the Quiraing are landslip formations you won't find anywhere else in the country. What makes Skye hard is also what makes it good. The weather turns fast, and the evening light, when it comes, is worth the wait.

Specs on The Isle of Skye

Interesting Facts about The Isle of Skye

• The name "Skye" comes from the Old Norse word sky-a, meaning "cloud island", which tells you most of what you need to know about the weather.
• Skye is home to the legendary Fairy Pools, a series of crystal-clear waterfalls and pools fed by the Black Cuillin mountains.
• The island has a rich Gaelic heritage, with around 30% of the population speaking Scottish Gaelic.
• The Cuillin mountain range is one of the most challenging and visually dramatic in the British Isles, drawing climbers and photographers alike.
• The island receives over 1.6 million visitors annually, making early morning arrivals at popular locations essential.

Highlight Locations on The Isle of Skye

Old Man of Storr

The Old Man of Storr is probably Scotland's most photographed landmark: a run of basalt pinnacles on the Trotternish ridge, the tallest standing 50 metres. The landslip geology around it and the views across the Sound of Raasay give you plenty to work with compositionally. Get there before dawn, when first light hits the pinnacles and mist is still sitting in the valley below.

The Quiraing

The Quiraing is a landslip on the eastern face of Meall na Suiramach, the northernmost summit of the Trotternish Ridge. Dramatic cliffs, a wide table-land, and rock formations that look like nowhere else in Britain. Light and shadow move across the ridges at sunrise in a way that rewards patience, and because the aspect is north-facing it keeps catching good directional light long after dawn.

Photographers catching first light at the Quiraing, one of our most popular Highland locations

Fairy Pools

The Fairy Pools sit below the Black Cuillin, a chain of clear blue pools linked by small waterfalls. The colour is the draw: on a bright day the water reads almost turquoise against dark basalt. Long exposures work well here, and it's about a twenty-minute walk in from the car park.

The Fairy Pools. A long exposure brings out the clarity and colour of the water

The Lake District sits in Cumbria, in northwest England, and it's the country's best region for still water. Sixteen main lakes, a lot of smaller tarns, and fells steep enough to give you real shape in the background. Derwent Water and Buttermere are the two most photographed, and Castlerigg Stone Circle is the landmark most people come for. Dawn reflections are the reason to be here, though a good sunset over the fells is worth staying out for.

Specs on The Lake District

Interesting Facts about The Lake District

• It became a UNESCO World Heritage Site in 2017.
• The area contains England's highest mountain, Scafell Pike, and England's deepest lake, Wastwater.
• It inspired many famous poets and writers, including William Wordsworth and Beatrix Potter.
• The region contains 16 main lakes and numerous smaller tarns.
• The Lake District takes over 15 million visitors a year. Go outside the summer months if you want the locations to yourself.
• It is home to a unique breed of sheep, the Herdwick, which is a photogenic subject in its own right.
• The area has a rich geological history, with rocks dating back 500 million years.

Highlight Locations in The Lake District

Derwent Water

Derwent Water sits at the heart of the Lake District and is the most reliable lake in the region for reflections. On a calm morning the surface mirrors the fells and woodland cleanly. The view from Friars Crag, with old pines framing the water, is one of the classic compositions in British landscape photography, and it still works.

Buttermere

Buttermere village sits between its own lake and Crummock Water, ringed by some of the steepest fells in the park. Autumn colour reflected in still water is what brings photographers back year after year. Go early: the lake loses its calm surface as soon as the wind picks up.

Buttermere at dawn, autumn reflections shot on a UK Photo Tours Lake District workshop

Castlerigg Stone Circle

Castlerigg is a Neolithic stone circle over 5,000 years old, set in a bowl of mountains. Unlike Stonehenge you can walk right up to it, at any hour and from any angle, which makes it one of the easiest prehistoric monuments in Britain to photograph properly. Sunrise is the time to be there, with low light on the stones and the mountain panorama behind them doing the framing for you.

Borrowdale Water Mill, one of many smaller subjects tucked away in the Lake District valleys

Stonehenge at sunset, when the stones line up with the setting sun

Stonehenge is one of the world's most iconic prehistoric monuments, standing on Salisbury Plain in Wiltshire. The stone circle, constructed in several phases from approximately 3000 BC, continues to captivate photographers with its unique silhouette against dramatic Wiltshire skies. Whether photographed at golden hour when the warm light sets the sarsen stones glowing, or in winter mist when the monument seems to float above the plain, Stonehenge offers compositional possibilities that never repeat themselves exactly.

Specs on Stonehenge

Interesting Facts about Stonehenge

• Stonehenge was built in multiple phases spanning 1,500 years, beginning around 3000 BC.
• The bluestones in the inner circle were transported over 200 miles from the Preseli Hills in Wales, which is a long way to move several tonnes of rock without the wheel.
• The monument is precisely aligned with the midsummer sunrise and midwinter sunset, suggesting astronomical significance.
• Early access inside the stone circle at sunrise can be booked separately through English Heritage. Places are limited and go quickly.
• It is one of the most visited prehistoric sites in Europe, drawing over 1.5 million visitors annually.

Glencoe is a glacial valley in the Scottish Highlands, and it photographs better than almost anywhere else in Britain because the scale is so obvious. Steep peaks, a wide U-shaped floor, and very little between you and the mountains. The Three Sisters and Loch Achtriochtan are the two compositions everyone comes for. The weather is the variable: it can close in and clear again inside an hour, which is frustrating on a schedule and useful if you can wait.

Specs on Glencoe

Interesting Facts about Glencoe

• Glencoe was formed by volcanic activity and then glaciation. The U-shaped valley is a textbook example of glacial erosion.
• The infamous Massacre of Glencoe took place in 1692, when 38 members of the MacDonald clan were killed by government troops.
• Glencoe was used as a filming location for the James Bond film Skyfall (2012) and several other major productions.
• The valley is managed by the National Trust for Scotland and is one of Scotland's most visited natural attractions.
• Winter brings snow on the tops and frequent cloud inversions, which are the best conditions the glen offers.

Highlight Locations in Glencoe

The Three Sisters

The Three Sisters are Beinn Fhada, Gearr Aonach, and Aonach Dubh, three ridges dropping into the valley in sequence. From the roadside viewpoint on the A82 they stack into one of the most recognisable compositions in Scotland. A telephoto compresses the ridges into layers; a wide lens from the valley floor gives you the scale instead. Both work, and they give you very different pictures.

Left: River Coupall with Buachaille Etive Mor · Right: Glen Etive waterfalls in winter snow

Loch Achtriochtan

Loch Achtriochtan sits at the heart of Glencoe, small but well placed, framed by the valley walls. In winter the mountains take snow while the loch stays unfrozen, which gives you a strong tonal contrast to work with. On a still morning the surface goes to a full mirror and reflects the Three Sisters cleanly.

Glencoe Lochan

Glencoe Lochan is a man-made loch inside a forest of North American trees planted in the 19th century. Still water, conifers and birch around the edge, and mountains behind. It's a reliable location rather than a dramatic one, and it comes into its own in autumn when the mixed woodland turns gold and copper.

Lagangarbh Cottage

Lagangarbh Cottage sits white-walled beneath Buachaille Etive Mor and is one of the most photographed buildings in Scotland. The appeal is the contrast: one small cottage against a volcanic pyramid. It gives you scale and solitude in a single frame. Shoot it at dawn, when the mountain's eastern face takes the first warm light.

Glen Etive

Glen Etive runs south from Glencoe down a single-track road, and most visitors never turn onto it. The River Etive drops through the glen in cascades, pools, and rapids with the peaks framing them. It was used as a location in Skyfall, which brought some attention, but it still feels remote. Worth the detour off the main valley road.

The Jurassic Coast runs along Dorset and East Devon, a UNESCO World Heritage Site covering 185 million years of geology. Durdle Door and Lulworth Cove are the landmarks people know, but the whole coast is worth walking. Over 7,000 fossil species have been recorded here, and the rock itself is part of the subject rather than just the setting.

Specs on Jurassic Coast

Interesting Facts about Jurassic Coast

• The Jurassic Coast was England's first natural UNESCO World Heritage Site, listed for its geology.
• Over 7,000 different fossil species have been discovered along the coast, making it one of the best fossil-hunting sites in the world.
• Durdle Door, the coast's best-known landmark, is a limestone arch cut by millions of years of wave action.
• The cliffs change colour dramatically along the coast, from the red Triassic sandstones of Devon to the white Cretaceous chalk of Dorset.
• Winter storms bring heavy wave action and sea spray. Strong conditions to shoot in, if you and your kit are ready for the weather.

Highlight Locations on the Jurassic Coast

Durdle Door – One of the Most Magical Natural Sea Arches

Durdle Door is the most recognisable coastal landmark in England: a limestone arch carved by wave action, joined to the cliffs by a ridge of rock. Sunrise is the shot. First light catches the arch and the water in the cove goes turquoise underneath it. It gets busy from mid-morning onwards, so the earlier you're on the cliff path the better.

Durdle Door at sunrise, the Jurassic Coast's best-known composition

Kimmeridge Bay

Kimmeridge Bay is the one to work at low tide. The Kimmeridgian clay ledges run out into the sea in long parallel lines, and they make some of the strongest foreground leads on the whole coast. Cliffs behind, shallow water over the ledges in front. Sunrise and sunset both work; the warm light on the cliff face is what you're waiting for. Check the tide table before you set off, because the ledges disappear entirely at high water.

Portland Bill Lighthouse

Portland Bill Lighthouse stands on the southern tip of the Isle of Portland, 41 metres of black and white stripes against the English Channel. It's a simple subject and it holds a frame well, especially with the low rock shelves in the foreground. Sunset is the time: the tower takes the last warm light while the sea behind it goes orange.

Portland Bill Lighthouse at sunset, a classic composition on the Jurassic Coast

Norfolk is about ninety miles of coast and a further 125 miles of rivers and lakes inland. Sandy beaches, salt marsh, and low crumbling clifftops on the coast; drainage mills, reed beds, and open water across the Broads. What ties it together is the sky. Norfolk is flat enough that the weather becomes the subject, which is why it works so well for both sunsets and astrophotography.

Specs on The Norfolk Coast & Broads

Interesting Facts about The Norfolk Coast & Broads

• Norfolk has some of the darkest skies in Eastern England, making it an excellent destination for astrophotography and aurora hunting.
• The annual grey seal pupping season at Blakeney Point and Donna Nook (Nov–Jan) attracts wildlife photographers from across the UK.
• Norfolk's drainage mills, Horsey and Thurne among them, have been photographed under the Milky Way, at sunrise, and lit by the aurora.
• Happisburgh (pronounced "Haisbro") Lighthouse is the oldest working lighthouse in East Anglia and one of the most photographed in England.
• The Norfolk coast is one of the fastest-eroding coastlines in Europe. The failing sea defences at Happisburgh are a subject in their own right.

Highlight Locations on the Norfolk Coast

Happisburgh Lighthouse

Happisburgh Lighthouse is the oldest working lighthouse in East Anglia, red and white striped and visible for miles across flat farmland. Against a strong sunset it's the best coastal composition in Norfolk. The cliffs below it are eroding fast, and shooting from the beach puts that erosion in the frame alongside the tower.

Happisburgh Lighthouse at golden hour, one of Norfolk's best-known subjects

Happisburgh Sea Defences

The sea defences at Happisburgh tell the story of Norfolk's rapidly changing coastline. Wooden groynes, rock armour, and the remnants of earlier defences stretch along the beach, creating strong leading lines and textural foreground interest for landscape compositions. In dramatic winter light, with storm waves breaking against the defences, the scene has a powerful, raw quality.

Horsey Windpump

Horsey Windpump, operated by the National Trust, sits alongside Horsey Mere in one of the darkest areas of Norfolk. It has become one of the county's best-known astrophotography subjects, shot under the Milky Way with its reflection held in the still water below. Get the conditions right and it is one of the strongest images Norfolk offers.

Horsey Windpump under the Milky Way, one of Norfolk's best astrophotography compositions

Thurne Windmill

Thurne Drainage Mill stands at the confluence of the River Thurne and its dykes, making it one of the most classically composed windmill subjects in the Broads. At dawn, with mist rising from the water and soft light catching the white mill sails, the scene has a timeless quality. Like Horsey, it is also an excellent astrophotography subject in the right conditions.

Aurora over St Benet's Abbey. Norfolk's dark skies make this more achievable than most people expect

Bannau Brycheiniog, previously called the Brecon Beacons, is a national park in south Wales that gives you two quite different jobs in one place. Waterfalls running through ancient oak woodland in the valleys, and one of the darkest skies in Britain above the moorland plateaux. You can shoot long exposures at ground level in the afternoon and the Milky Way from the same park that night.

Interesting Facts about Bannau Brycheiniog

• Pen y Fan is the highest peak in the Brecon Beacons at 886 metres, and the highest point in southern Britain.
• The park became an International Dark Sky Reserve in 2012, the first in Wales and one of only a handful worldwide.
• The park is home to diverse wildlife, including rare species such as red kites, peregrine falcons, and otters.
• Bannau Brycheiniog has a rich history and is dotted with ancient ruins and archaeological sites, including burial cairns and standing stones.
• The waterfalls of the Vale of Neath (Waterfall Country) include some of the most dramatic and accessible falls in Wales, particularly impressive in winter and after heavy rain.

Highlight Locations in Bannau Brycheiniog

Sgwd Gwladys

Sgwd Gwladys sits in woodland in the Vale of Neath, tucked far enough into the trees that it feels private even on a busy day. The forest canopy diffuses the light, which is exactly what you want for a waterfall: no blown highlights on the water, no hard shadows on the rock. A long exposure smooths the flow, and the oak woodland gives you something to frame it with.

Sychryd Waterfall. The Brecon Beacons cascades are at their best after winter rain

Sgwd-y-Bedol

Sgwd-y-Bedol, the Horseshoe Falls, is close to symmetrical, which is unusual and makes it easy to compose. Set it up in the gorge and shoot at one to three seconds. That's enough to smooth the water into a curtain while keeping the texture of the rock and the trees around it. On bright days the canopy acts as a diffuser.

Upper Sychryd Falls

The Upper Sychryd Falls sit on the Waterfall Walk through the Vale of Neath, which has more cascades packed into it than anywhere else in Wales. The falls drop through a carboniferous limestone gorge, and the water carries an amber tint picked up from the peat moorland above. Winter leaves the oak woodland bare and stark. Spring fills it with wild garlic and bluebells. Both give you foreground, they just give you very different pictures.

Sgwd Gwladys in black and white. Monochrome brings out the form of the water and the rock

Kilchurn Castle reflected in Loch Awe at sunrise, with mist sitting on the water

Interesting Facts about Kilchurn Castle

• Kilchurn Castle was built in the mid-15th century by Sir Colin Campbell, first Lord of Glenorchy, as a clan stronghold.
• It sits on a peninsula at the northeastern end of Loch Awe, which becomes an island when the water is high.
• The castle was partially destroyed by lightning in 1769 and is now maintained as a scheduled ancient monument by Historic Environment Scotland.
• Kilchurn is widely regarded as one of Scotland's most photogenic castles, particularly at dawn when mist frequently forms over Loch Awe.
• The surrounding glen was once fought over by rival Highland clans and is steeped in history that adds depth to every image made there.

On calm autumn and winter mornings mist forms over Loch Awe and drifts around the castle's ruined towers. The composition is a known one: castle reflected in flat water, mountains behind. It never quite comes out the same way twice, which is why photographers keep going back for it.

Glen Orchy

Glen Orchy is quieter than Glencoe and gets a fraction of the traffic. The River Orchy runs through it over rock shelves and small falls, with mountains on both sides and woodland along the banks. Eas Urchaidh is the best-known set of rapids and the easiest place to start. Good light comes early here, before the sun clears the valley walls.

Eas Urchaidh, Glen Orchy. Early mist and low light on the river rapids

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