Christmas at Glenstriven for Country Living magazine.

My first commission for Country Living magazine is out now in the December 2026 issue. It’s a homes feature on Glenstriven, a 160-year-old Victorian house on the shores of Loch Striven in Argyll and Bute. Country Living magazine contacted me to ask if I was interested in spending a couple of days on the west coast of Scotland and it didn’t take long for me to give them my answer.

Glenstriven is home to Tora and Alastair Blyth and their family. Tora is Norwegian and the house is a lovely mix of Nordic and Scottish. Think log burners, Morris & Co fabrics, local tartans and candles on just about every available surface. The brief was to capture the house dressed for Christmas and show how warm and welcoming a place it is, despite being tucked away in a fairly remote corner of the west coast.

Anyone who has shot Christmas interiors will know the challenge is the light. Short winter days, dark rooms and a dining table lit by a dozen candles is a lovely thing to sit at, but not so easy to photograph. The aim was to keep the candlelight looking like candlelight, rather than overpowering it with lights and losing the atmosphere.

Then there was the weather. I repeatedly tell people that photographers are fussy folk and very rarely happy with the available light. Too bright, too dark, not enough, etc, etc. With the Glenstriven photo shoot, the challenge was dark days and winter light. As a photographer based in the North of England, and specialising in location photography, I spend my life hoping for the right conditions and watching various weather forecasts.

It was a real pleasure working with Tora, who was a natural in front of the camera, and Daisy Bendall from Country Living. Suzanne Imre wrote the words.

Pick up a copy of the December issue of Country Living to see the full feature. If it’s given you the urge for a Highland Christmas of your own, Glenstriven is available to rent… https://glenstrivenhouse.com