CREATIVITY, INSPIRATION AND PHOTOGRAPHY ON THE ISLE OF HARRIS
Oct 5th-Oct 8th, 2025
With Margaret Soraya, John Maher, Elisabeth Philipps,
Mhairi Law, Alister Benn, Adele & Max Warner Tate, Adrian & Clea Beasley, Emma Simpson, Carien Borst, James Kelly, Gill Thompson, Mary Morrison
A gathering of creatives and photographers on the Isle of Harris in October, 2025
Time out in the landscape mixed with flavours of Harris, space for creativity, and freedom of expression. Experience a taste of the real Harris . The creativity, the wildness, the friendly people, the history, and the artists who live there.
As always, the leaders will be chosen to fit with the festival’s values of kindness, encouragement, and support.
Our days will be spent with a mixture of photography trips, speakers, and classes: photography, painting, and printmaking. You can be assured of a true island welcome, time and space to be creative and inspired during your time on the Isle of Harris.
THIS 3 DAY FESTIVAL INCLUDES:
- Reception dinner, 3 days Lunch & dinner at The Harris Hotel
- A traditional evening of Ceildih dancing on one evening
- Drinks at the Harris Distillery one evening pre dinner drinks
- Chance to take part in the group exhibition submit one image to hang
- Led photography walks on the famous beaches and landscapes of Harris.
- Immersive art sessions with Carien Borst, who will gently guide you to express yourself in paint
- Coffee & Cake afternoons with Margaret
- Learn from speakers who will uplift you and motivate.
- Optional additional workshops and trips before the festival ( 3rd & 4th ) to allow you to make a week of the trip. Additional costs.
Additional, bolt on workshops are now available for the days running up to the festival. If you are arriving early and are looking for a lovely day event to take part in, please book here
What your day may look like
*Please note this is just a sample and may change
7.30am Breakfast
8.30am Photography walk to beaches or Bays of Harris / OR a Creative session
1pm Lunch at the Hotel
2pm – Optional drop in activities : Paint with Carien & Coffee/ cake & chat with Margaret – both taking place at the community centre
4- 6 pm Speakers – at the Community Centre
7.00pm Dinner together at the Harris Hotel
8.00pm Ceildih or drinks
NEW ++ GROUP EXHIBITION
We invite you to submit 1 of your own images for our group exhibition, which will hang at the main location for our talks and events. A fabulous opportunity to share your work and allow others to see what your work. The cost of printing and mounting onto foamboard of 1 image is included in your ticket. The print is yours to keep afterwards. If you wish to submit more, there is an additional fee of £20, but you are welcome to do so.
++ Sponsored by Permajet & printed by Warner Tate Photography+++
Speaking Schedule – Monday 6th October
Margaret Soraya
Understanding the Landscape
Alister Benn
Understanding the Landscape is a deep dive into expressive landscape photography that moves beyond rules and formulas. It helps photographers develop a personal visual compass—guided by emotion, intuition, and creative intent—to make images that truly mean something.
Amanda Saurin
Hope Blamire
Seascape painter Hope will talk about her life and work, travelling through the Scottish islands regularly to gather materials and inspiration for her paintings, The story of how she also came to set up shops in Harris and Morar recently.
Speaking Schedule – Tuesday 7th October
Island Darkroom | a rural arts space
Mhairi Law
The story of photography gallery and traditional darkroom, Island Darkroom, from its founder, Mhairi Law. Mhairi will take you through her story, from the inspirations behind the idea to hopes for the future of Island Darkroom as a thriving rural arts space; ideas of residencies, funding and the responsibilities of running a rural art space in a community of rich cultural heritage.
Noticing: what the open water has taught me about seeing & the meaning of beauty
Emma Simpson
From tasting an iceberg to saving a bee, this talk explores how being in the open water brings a particular awareness, clarity and focus to both our inner and outer landscapes. In this fluid environment, the senses awaken, and perception becomes shaped by attention, patience and presence. Join me to reflect on how immersion in wild water impacts how and what we notice.
The Essence of the island
Mary Morrison
Artist Mary Morison will talk about her work and life on the isle of Harris. “I am continually inspired by relationships between the written word and image, including the poetry of Iain Crichton Smith, Seumas Heaney, and the Sufi poet, Rumi. My work is also informed by Geopoetics, a theory and practice developed by Scottish poet Kenneth White, which is about expressing the earth through creative processes”.
Speaking Schedule – Wednesday 8th October
An Alternative view of the Hebrides
John Maher
John has a completely unique way of interpreting the Hebridean landscape; from long exposure photographs shot during the dead of night, under the light of a full moon to photographs of decaying man-made objects set against a backdrop of the Hebridean Landscape. His project “Nobodys Home” depicting abandoned croft houses and his portraits featuring people who live and work in the Outer Hebrides all have a distinct and personal style.
Starting Over on the Edge of the World
Elisabeth Philips
What does it take to start over when faced with years of chronic illness and deep traumatic grief? Elisabeth (Ealasaid in Gaelic) will take you through aspects of her journey over the last few years from London-based clinical neuroscientist to van dweller to intuitive weaver and ancestral crafter now living in her croft in the Outer Hebrides. How the power of nature, creativity and community helps heal and reconnect us to our true selves.
Insta @ealasaid_weaves
WATCH PREVIOUS YEARS HIGHLIGHTS
WHAT OTHERS HAVE SAID
COST TO ATTEND
£845 pp / £795pp Creative Haven member
The price includes:
- Lunch & dinner at the Harris Hotel – from dinner on 5th Oct
- All tuition and speaker sessions
- A taste os the Harris Distillery – first drink included
- One print submission for the group exhibition – printed for you
- Location trips
- Ceildih dance
This is a ticketed event, and full payment is made upon ticket purchase and is non-refundable but transferrable. Please ensure you are aware of these terms & conditions before purchasing.
++Not included – Alcohol, Insurance, Travel to Harris, Accommodation++
YOUR LEADERS & SPEAKERS
John Maher
John got a second-hand drum kit for his 16th. 5 weeks later he joined the Buzzcocks who went on to have several chart hits. In 2002, John relocated to the Isle of Harris and shoots in innovative ways: long exposures during the dead of night, using additional light and decaying man-made objects set against a backdrop of Hebridean landscapes.
Mhairi Law
Mhairi Law is based on the Isle of Lewis. She owns and runs the Island Darkroom hosts exhibitions, workshops in analogue processes and Artist Residencies.
Using medium-format film, her work looks to the landscapes around her, exploring how cultures historically and currently bond visually with their environments.
Elisabeth Philipps
Elisabeth is a functional medicine doctor, specialising in plant medicines, and a fibre artist living on the Isle of Scalpay after several years of solo van life. Her love of adventure in remote places and living life on the edge of the world immersed in the wild elements inspires her textile weavings and approach to a holistic and soul-nourished way of life.
Adele Warner-Tate
Adele is a coastal photographer living on the Isle of Lewis. After discovering a passion for photography, it became more than just heading out with the camera to practice, it became a release from the everyday and a way of dealing with personal challenges.
Adele runs small group workshops and is committed to encouraging others.
Danielle Macleod
Danielle Macleod is a mask maker and photographer based in the Isle of Lewis. Working on medium format film, her photography draws on traditional Hebridean culture, local stories and her upbringing there.
She seeks to deepen our spiritual connections to the places we call home by re-imagining her own through the lens of living legends.
Hope Blamire
Hope Blamire specialises in painting the Scottish island landscape and is inspired by the Scottish landscape. Hope has a shop in Tarbert, Harris – where she sells her work alongside her husbands pottery.
Carien Borst
Carien Borst is an artist specialising in intuitive mixed media paintings and inspiration for her paintings is found in being outdoors. She will provide a beautiful warm and easy space for those to try out art in a free, expressive way.
James Kelly
A landscape photographer with a real passion for Scotland, teaching and guiding others in the outdoors. James has a warm, friendly approach to sharing his knowledge with others.
Gill Thompson
Gill Thompson is a printmaker living on the Isle of Lewis, taking inspiration from the coastal scenery and wildlife. She has recently published a book about printmaking techniques.
Mary Morrison
Mary is an artist who grew up in Harris. Her work is around ‘memory places’ and a sense of place communicated through fluid paint effects & graphic elements of annotation – grids, staves, elements of maps and tide tables.
Clea Beasley
Clea, who has had a passion for books and bookmaking since her childhood, loves sharing her knowledge and skills with others. She believes that teaching people how to create handmade books can open the door to a new world of creative expression.
Alister Benn
Alister Benn is a professional landscape photographer living on the Isle of Lewis. He has a passion for individual creativity and expression.
Alister is an advocate of engaging with the landscape , unrestrained by conventions, rules or the pressure of external validation.
Max Warner-Tate
Max is a photographer living on the Isle of Lewis and has a passion for coastal & drone photography. After leaving behind a full time career, she realised that creativity is important to her and made time to prioritise this.
Max also enjoys supporting other women in seascape photography.
Adrian Beasley
Adrian is an Adobe Certified Expert providing training in photography, Lightroom, Photoshop, digital printing and book making. He has been teaching for nearly 25 years. Adrian loves to make dark B&W images, use infrared in colour and b&w and push the boundaries of printing.
Emma Simpson
Emma Simpson is a debut author, wild swimmer and tea sommelier. Her first book, Breaking Waves, is being published in March 2025 and explores the unique relationship of women with water around the world. Emma is currently writing her second book : the history and stories of tea and how we translate our own heritage, rituals and cultures in ways other than words.