Advanced Photographer - 23 Must-Shoot Locations

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Must-Shoot Locations23

The UK is blessed with amazing locations for great landscape

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Must-Shoot Locations23

WELCOMEWelcome to our landscape location special featuring 23 great spots in the UK. It’s easy to take what we have for granted, but we are truly blessed in this country with some amazing scenery and picking so few hotspots was a challenge. Some spots get featured so regularly in location guides such as this that photographers go along and use the same tripod holes. Nothing wrong in that in itself, but on this occasion, I have decided to spurn the likes of Buachaille Etive Mor, Roseberry Topping, the Dorset Jurassic Coast and Giant’s Causeway.

One day, I’m going to produce a guide to great photographic lay-bys, where you can literally park up, tumble out with the camera and, assuming the light is right, shoot great landscapes. It’s going to be the perfect guide to armchair landscapes, if you get my meaning. Meanwhile, this guide has a mix of the easy and the less accessible, and they’re randomly scattered around the country. There is, however, as you can see on the map opposite, a slight north England bias – that’s simply because the best pictures came from those areas when I put the call out for images.

Next issue, we’ve another guide: urban hotspots.

Will Cheung FRPS, Editor

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Must-shoot locations23

Variously known as Cauldron or Couldron force or falls, West Burton force (falls) is very popular with photographers. Its popularity predates photography though, as painter J M W Turner visited and sketched the force in the 19th century.

It’s easy to see why this spot is popular too, as Walden Beck tumbles over a hard limestone ledge into a picturesque amphitheatre – perfect for a wide-angle or even panoramic view. The footbridge makes a good vantage point, although you can get closer by following the footpath. To see the falls in full force, go after several days of rainfall. In autumn, thanks to the nearby woods, you get lovely autumn colours and a good chance of mist.

1 WEst BurtOn FOrCE, nOrth yOrkshirE

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Top SpoTS23 MUST-SHOOT LOCATIONS

1 West Burton Force, North Yorks page 2

2 Loch Maree, Wester Ross page 4

3 Catterline rocks, Aberdeenshire page 5

4 Bedruthan Steps, Cornwall page 5

5 Dunwich, Suffolk page 6

6 Herringfleet Mill, Norfolk page 6

7 Knoydart Peninsula, Inverness page 7

8 Crib Goch, Snowdonia page 8

9 Green Bridge of Wales, Pembroke page 8

10 Llyn Dinas, Gwynedd page 9

11 Talacre Beach, Flintshire page 9

12 Carnlough, Co Antrim page 9

13 Roos Tor, Devon page 10

14 White Cliffs of Dover, Kent page 10

15 Burley-in-Wharfedale, West Yorks page 11

16 Horsey Windpump, Norfolk page 12

17 Uffington, Oxfordshire page 13

18 Black Clough, Derbyshire page 13

19 Cloghan Point jetty, Co Antrim page 14

20 Avebury, Wiltshire, page 15

21 Deal beach, Kent page 15

22 Flamborough Head, East Yorks page 16

23 Fort Perch Rock, Wirral page 16

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Must-shoot locations23 Must-shoot locations

Not as famous as its more southerly counterpart, Loch Ness, the rather remote Loch Maree is all the better for it – fewer tourists equals more photo opportunities.

With the 980m Slioch on its eastern side and the 1010m Beinn Eighe on the

west, there are plenty of spots for dramatic sunsets/rises over the hills. You could also try your water blurring/freezing skills at Victoria Falls, on the south side of the loch.

Although the tourists don’t flock to the loch, wildlife most does certainly

– another good reason to visit. You can expect to see black-throated divers from spring through to autumn and golden eyes during the winter. In autumn, bring your deerstalker – the red deer will be bellowing their presence.

2 Loch maree, Wester ross

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CANON EOS 5D MARK II | 24-105MM lENS At 28MM | 1/20SEC At f/8 | ISO 100

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While nearby RSPB Fowlsheugh might get the headlines for the seabird packed sheer cliffs, the rocks at Catterline, 25 miles south of Aberdeen, are every bit as worthy of your focus. Wander on to the beach and you’ll be wanting your macro lens to focus on the colourful lichen and teeming rock pools. Don’t forget the rest of

your kit though, because this fishing village boasts plenty of boats in and around its sheltered bay and a picturesque white-painted cottage on the shoreline. Beware the narrow steep road down to the beach.

There’s lots more to explore nearby too, such Stonehaven’s Art Deco open air heated pool and fortified Dunnottar Castle.

This is a popular tourist destination on the north Cornish coast, but don’t let that put you off. Because Bedruthan Steps offers a wealth of photo potential, and you’ll most likely be there before the tourists arrive or after they’ve rolled up their beach towels.

The surrounding coastline is dramatic and the stacks themselves are mightily impressive. These massive rocky outcrops

are supposedly the stepping stones of Giant Bedruthan, hence the name. The beach is stunning, but only accessible at low tide, so check the tide times because you don’t want to get cut off. And don’t be tempted to swim; the currents are strong. The cliff staircase down to the beach, recently rebuilt by the National Trust, is steep, so don’t overload yourself with kit.

3 Catterline roCks, aberdeenshire

4 bedruthan steps, Cornwall


Lowepro Rover Pro 45L AW

This spacious rucksack is ideal for protecting your kit against the elements, and it’s large enough to hold a good-sized DSLR outfit.

www.lowepro.comCANON EOS 5D MARK II | 16-35MMM lENS At 19MM | 1/10SEC At f/11 | ISO 100 | +2/3EV

CANON EOS 5D MARK II | 16-35MM lENS At 16MM | 30SECS At f/16 | ISO 100 | +2/3EV

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Built in 1820, this Grade II listed building has been fully restored and makes a great subject, both at sunrise and sunset – this picture was taken at sunset.

If you like windmills and big skies, the Broads is the national park for you but

you need good sky conditions to make the most of your subject. It’s worth using filters too, especially the polariser and the ND graduate filters to intensify what’s there. If the sky is changing fast, try an extreme long exposure filter.

This image was bracketed, processed in Photomatix and put through Nik Software Color Efex to beef up the colours and sky.

Not so very long ago, this was a bustling seaport and you can still spy traces of its old life down by the shingle beach. Now this sleepy village is a popular spot with walkers, nature lovers and photographers alike – it’s part of the Suffolk Coast and Heaths Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty and on the Suffolk Coast Path.

You can spend hours on the shingle, capturing serene seascapes, details of fishing boats and dramatic, moody skies. If that’s not enough, move on to Dunwich Heath. There you’ll find a patchwork of pink and purple heather and yellow gorse from July to September. The National Trust manages the Heath, looking after the habitat to ensure the continued presence of rare flora and fauna. There are plenty of facilities: toilets, tea room and car park.

6 Herringfleet Mill, norfolk

5 DunwicH, Suffolk

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If you want remote, set your satnav for Knoydart, then dump the car and approach on Shanks’s pony or take the ferry – we’d advise the sea route as the walk is one of the toughest in the UK. This peninsula, often described as Britain’s last wilderness, is definitely wild, remote and beautiful to boot. Think dramatic skies and harsh landscapes. It’s surrounded by four Munros, and for those hardy enough to make the ascent, Ladhar Bheinn offers the chance to capture a shot of the Isle of Skye.

A visit isn’t complete without a drink in the village’s only pub, the Old Forge Inn at Inverie – the remotest pub on mainland Britain according to the Guinness Book of Records.

7 Knoydart Peninsula, inverness-shire

NikoN D80 | 18-135mm leNs at 18mm | 1/80sec at f/20 | iso 200

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Lowepro Flipside Sport 15L AW

Lightweight, rugged, comfortable and allows quick side access to your kit. Roomy enough for a pro DSLR, several lenses and cards.

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The best known ridge walk in Snowdonia is the Snowdon Horseshoe which includes a traverse of Crib Goch’s arête. It’s fair to say that the walk is not for the inexperienced or faint-hearted so do as Simon Kitchin did for his image and shoot Crib Goch from lower down and use Llyn Llydaw as great foreground. The flat calm conditions meant an almost perfect reflection. The lake is one of two on the Miner’s Track route to Snowdon and getting there is relatively easy from Pen Y Pass – the walk gets much more difficult after this point, especially if you are carrying a bagful of camera kit.

As sea arches go, the Green Bridge of Wales is one of the most spectacular. In fact, it is one of the most famous landmarks of Wales. This limestone arch formed as the sea wore away the weaker rock below, leaving just the arch. You’ll find it close to Castlemartin, in the south of the county, and close to both Stack Rocks and the Cauldron.

Stack Rocks is a pair of impressive stacks; not long ago they too were arches. While the Cauldron, also called The Devil’s Punch Bowl, is an arch and natural sinkhole. It’s a popular spot for climbers as well as photographers.

In this one small area, there is a great deal of landscape potential.

8 Crib GoCh, snowdonia

9 Green bridGe of wales, Pembrokeshire

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Just north of Beddgelert and its popular forest is Llyn Dinas. This shallow lake, formed by the river Glaslyn, is only about a kilometre long; in fact, you can easily walk around it in under two hours. It’s bounded on one side by the A498, and on the other by forest. Access is easy with a nearby car park and a bus running from Beddgelert.

It’s positively swimming with opportunities, from panoramics to reflections of the mountains in the lake itself. The wind can whip up a bit though, so you might need to watch the forecast to get a still enough day for reflections.

A popular area, not least because it is close to Liverpool and getting here is not a problem. Despite that, you can easily get away from the crowds because there are miles of sandy beach to explore.

On the beach is the Point of Ayr lighthouse. Built in 1776, it fell into disuse in 1884. It measures just 18 metres high so it’s not that tall but it still makes a great

subject for the camera, especially with good sky conditions.

High tide cuts the lighthouse off from the mainland so beware. Strong winds can be an issue too, whipping up sand that could be troublesome for your camera, so take care especially when swapping lenses.

10 LLyn Dinas, GwyneDD

11 TaLacre beach, FLinTshire

Although its name means the place of cairns, Carnlough isn’t known for its cairns. It’s all about the picturesque harbour. You’ll find pleasure boats and small fishing craft aplenty, and you might even spy locally built four-oared racing gigs out practising in the bay. The village also hosts the All Ireland Rowing Championships in August, so there’s a plethora of water-based shots to be had.

For a spot of beachcombing, head for the wide bay and sandy beach. Or walk up the steps from the beach beside the Harbour Lights building to Cranny Falls.

The village lies at the foot of Glencloy, one of the nine Glens of Antrim. Designated an Area of Outstanding Natural Beauty, they’re worth a visit too. It’s also on the Causeway Coastal Route, which is considered to be one of the top driving routes in Europe.

12 carnLouGh, counTry anTrim

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soNY a550 | 10mm | 1/13sec at f/16 | iso 200

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This is one of the easier Dartmoor tors to get to, given that it’s just a 30-minute walk from the Cox Tor car park. In our book, that makes it a viable sunrise location even if you’re not keen on getting up early in high summer. Terrain wise, it’s also less boggy underfoot than some of Dartmoor’s picturesque tors, and it’s still a mile from the military zone (phew!). To be serious for a moment, there are firing ranges on

Dartmoor, indicated by red and white posts; check them, the nearby notices and local newspapers to find out when live firing is taking place.

On the western edge of Dartmoor, Roos Tor is just over 450 metres high and encircled by standing stones. It’s a great spot for panoramas, and on a clear day you get views across the moor to White Toy and Tavy Cleave beyond.

13 Roos ToR, Devon

The famous Seven Sisters are part of the Sussex Heritage Coast and the whole area is great for pictures. The white chalk cliffs can be an exposure challenge and contrast is a nightmare with a full sun. Cloudy bright gives a better light or get there early or late in the day for more atmospheric pictures. The oxbow lake at Cuckmere Haven is great at sunset and don’t forget Birling Gap a little east along the coast towards Eastbourne. See www.sevensisters.org.uk for more.

14 seven sisTeRs, easT sussex

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Not far from Bradford or Leeds and just off the A65 is the photogenic village of Burley in the green, green valley of Wharfedale. As well as the nature reserve and surrounding rolling hills, Burley offers up Cornmill Pond, Victorian shop fronts and the goit, which is one of its big attractions for photographers.

A goit is a water course or a canal for transporting drinking water. Here the goit originally supplied water from

canon eos 5d mark ii | ef 17-40mm f/4L Usm Lens at 19mm | 59secs at f/14 | iso 100

Joby Gorillapod SLR-Zoom


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Greenholme weir on the river Wharfe to power Greenholme Mill. And it’s recently been refurbished, as part of the village’s hydro scheme. The weir is well worth a shot, so don’t forget your tripod or your ND filters, or that beautiful blurry water image just won’t be possible.

Staying with the watery theme, there are also picturesque stepping stones at nearby Greenholme. You’ll probably need your wellies for that though!

15 Burley-in-Wharfedale, West yorks

For those tight spots, when finding a steady perch for your DSLR feels like a game of Twister, this is the answer. It’ll twist into position to keep your DSLR and zoom steady and safe.

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This restored drainage mill is an imposing five-storey building, and with boats moored on the broad, on a still day it’s the perfect spot for reflection shots. It also offers a great vantage point for wider landscape shots, looking across the windswept broad of Horsey Mere, as you can walk up it.

16 Horsey Windpump, norfolk

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Giotto’s YTL8384This carbon fibre, four-section leg tripod is perfect for location work, as it’s lightweight and compact.

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Set in the Broads National Park, this is a great destination for landscapes and even panoramas across the empty broadlands.

The National Trust looks after the mill, which is open daily from March to early November. You can see it in action too, on National Mills weekends.



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This strangely shaped valley sits below its more famous neighbour, the Uffington White Horse (you’ll find the best viewpoint to photograph this is off the Uffington to Longcot road). Known as The Manger, it features these impressive ridges, carved out by the last Ice Age.

There are three Black Cloughs – Far, Near and Middle – and it’s Middle that has a waterfall with a 10 metre drop. You can find if off the very busy A628 that runs between Barnsley and Manchester. There’s parking off the main road down a side road, at the western end of the Woodhead Reservoir (OS grid reference SK115984)

and the waterfall is about 25 minutes walk from there. The three Cloughs all flow into the river Etherow so you need to cross that to get to Middle Clough. Sensible footwear, such as wellies or waders, is advisable. The river may be impassable after heavy rain so please don’t take any risks. Plenty to shoot, though, and a wide-angle lens is essential.

17 uffington, oxon

18 black clough, derbyshire

As befits its location, there’s a lot of folklore surrounding it, not least the idea that the horse flies down to feed here on moonlit nights. Whether or not he does,

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nIkon d700 | 14-24mm f/2.8 lens at 19mm | 0.8sec at f/22 | Iso 100

it’s great for dramatic sunsets and moody black & white skies – don’t forget your wide-angle lens. It’s easily accessible too, off the B4507, with a car park nearby.

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Built in the 1970s along with nearby Kilroot power station, Cloghan Point jetty is still in use. You can easily walk to it from the power station or from Whitehead, and it’s just off the A2, if you’re driving.

The jetty itself is imposing, and standing beneath its great struts gives a cathedral-like feel. Some even describe it as eerie – possibly more so at night-time. And it is a great spot to visit at night, equipped with your tripod and flask, for some star trail shots. If you’re not up for night-time forays, pack your filters for daytime long exposures. The pebbly shoreline makes for great foreground interest.

A railway line wends its way along this stretch of coast line, and you might be lucky enough to catch a train steaming by.

19 Cloghan Point jetty, County antrim

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Depending on who you listen to Avebury stone circle is more significant, larger and more impressive than Stonehenge. Regardless of which side of that argument you’re on, Avebury, which is actually made up of three stone circles, is most definitely old and most definitely photogenic.

Managed by the National Trust and English Heritage, Avebury is accessible dawn to dusk every day of the year. Which means, of course, that there are plenty

of opportunities for sunrise and sunset shots. But pick your day carefully, because Avebury attracts visitors celebrating the solstices (the summer one falls on Friday 21 June – you’ll be on our Photo 24 then anyway). That said, a person or two (maybe not a crowd of pagans) can lend your shot a sense of scale.

Also try misty days for ethereal images, and black & white conversions and HDR comps for a dollop of drama.

This shingle headland on the Kent coast has plenty of potential especially if you enjoy shooting brooding landscapes of fishing boasts and wooden shacks. Perfect subjects for enjoying in monochrome.

The Old Lighthouse is worth a visit too, so plan to go when that is open so you can get some panoramic shots of the area. See www.dungenesslighthouse.com and www.dungeness.org.uk for more details of what to see and shoot.

20 Avebury, wiltshire

21 Dungeness, kent

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canon eos 5d mark ii | ef 16-35mm f/2.8l ii usm lens at 16mm | 64secs at f/22 | iso 50

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B+W 3-stop ND filter with MRC coatingPerfect for cutting down light, this 3-stop ND filter lets you capture long exposures for silky smooth water, and the multi-layer coating helps to repel water and dirt.


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Flamborough Head is a chalk headland – and the area around – offers a variety of subjects that should the keen photographer occupied for many hours.

At the head itself, there’s the lighthouse, sheer white cliffs, a wide beach and interesting geological phenomena such as

22 Flamborough lighthouse, east Yorks

NikoN D700 | 16-35mm f/4 leNs at 16mm | 30secs at f/4 | iso 100

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Giotto’s Vitruvian VGRN9265The best tripod is the one you have with you, and a lightweight model like this Giottos is perfect for travel.

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arches and caves. Please take care around the cliff edges.

A few miles away is Bempton Cliffs, an RSPB reserve, and home to over 200,000 seabirds, while if you prefer something more urban you are close to Bridlington, Filey and Scarborough.

Head for this area and you’ll need a tripod and filters, because there are opportunities aplenty for rocky foregrounds with blurry water behind. While the rocks and water can fill your day, there are more photos to be had around Fort Perch Rock. Built as a defence during the Napoleonic wars, Fort Perch Rock now houses a museum and its car park is free. Handily it’s shut on Mondays and doesn’t open until midday on the other days, which means fewer people around. Set up the tripod for an almost symmetrical shot of the imposing building from low down.

The Fort is just 10 minutes’ drive from the Mersey Tunnel and a short walk from New Brighton rail and bus stations.

23 Fort Perch rock, Wirral

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Advanced Photographer - 23 Must-Shoot Locations

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