isolation in the scottish landscape, captured by photographer manuel alvarez diestro

atmospheric isolation — manuel alvarez diestro

far from asian metropolises or middle eastern deserts, manuel alvarez diestro turns his lens to scotland’s rolling hills and glens for his latest photographic essay. as well as capturing the incomparable moody atmosphere of the scottish landscape, the spanish photographer has focused on the isolated dwellings that he found. characterized by traditional stone construction and pitched roofs, these remote cottages become tiny specks amid the open and quietly dramatic landscape. as the viewer, your imagination immediately begins to wonder just what it would be like to live there.

‘in a way, the work suggests the insignificant scale of the constructions versus nature and the extreme human isolation,’ says manuel alvarez diestro. while traveling across the country, the photographer noticed how local inhabitants gingerly transform their surroundings with a few trees, a small garden, or some fencing. these small interventions seem to carve out a sense of home and belonging. ‘however, human presence is still minimal and successfully adapts, with care, to the territory,’ continues alvarez diestro.

during this trip, the photographer was most intrigued to visit the outer hebrides, an archipelago located off the northwest coast of scotland and one of the most remote places in the UK. one of these rugged and barren islands—the isle of harris—also stood in for the planet of jupiter in stanley kubrick’s epic science fiction film, 2001: a space odyssey.

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project info:

photography: manuel alvarez diestro

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