Guest Blogger

If you’re looking for a guest blogger, I’d love to get involved. Photography isn’t my only creative outlet… I absolutely love writing too.

Back in 2012 (or thereabouts), I started writing a blog and I’m pretty sure that, to begin with, my mum was my only reader! I persevered and gradually built up a following on WordPress as I blogged about my wee adventures in the outdoors. Back then, my writing focused on the places that I visited, their history, and the emotions they invoked in me.

Guest blogger - woman dressed in wet weather clothing on a beach with sand and sea weed with a three person film crew

From Blogging to the BBC

Monthly Guest Blogging

Guest blogger - screenshot of a tweet from author Ian Rankin with the text, 'Lovely essay about the Black Isle...'

My tenure with Walkhighlands coincided with the darkest time in my life. My dad was diagnosed with a rare form of brain cancer in April 2017, which he fought bravely for fourteen long months before dying in June 2018. He passed away during the peak of my first full season of wedding photography. I was 32. He was 65. All of this was excruciatingly hard and continues to affect me profoundly.

Exploring Connections and Contrasts

My contract with Walkhighlands kept me writing throughout this time, during my dad’s treatment and in the aftermath of his death. This was when I truly figured out who I am as a writer. I love communicating my passion for the landscapes of Scotland, and exploring connections and contrasts within different themes, including grief and mental well-being.

Guest blogger - screenshot of website with map of Scotland and photo of the sun setting over the sea with rocks in foreground

Writing provided me with a release (and continues to do so), and it meant a lot to hear from readers that my articles resonated with them. However, all good things come to an end and, due to a change in financial circumstances, Walkhighlands was forced to let go all of its writers in 2019. Running a new business (and grieving) is all-consuming and my own blog fell by the wayside. My writing was scaled back to the occasional magazine article and my own journal. However, without the demands of a monthly column, I now have time to work on my book.

Writing my Life Story

This is a huge undertaking which will no doubt take many years to complete. I can’t just smash out a few hundred words while dinner is cooking… I have to put aside time to settle into the right frame of mind and write without interruptions. Easier said than done! What’s the book about? Essentially it’s above love, my relationship with my dad, and the story of his journey through cancer, set against the backdrop of the landscapes of Scotland. I hope it will be equally poignant and uplifting.

Magazines and Guest Blogging

In the meantime, I’m happy to consider any magazine articles and guest blogging opportunities, so please feel free to get in touch. I’ve included a couple of links below, in case you’d like to read some examples of my work.

Walkhighlands articles

Just A Pack guest blog: Reflections of a Scottish Photographer

CONTACT KAREN

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