a highland dream

excellent shot…lovely composition Mr. J!!

love it joak !!!

beautiful shot joak. stirs my Scottish blood! : )

Joak thare ur mony o’ us wi’ Scots heretige that lament th’ loss o’ culture ‘n’ th’ Hielan ways. Ah hawp that it bides oan in oor hearts even if we cannae lee in oor spiritual homeland. This is a stoatin image that reminds us tae ne’er gie up ‘n’ ne’er surrender oor loue o’ th’ Hielands. We in Australia ken yer loss due tae th’ Wars ‘n’ they wi’ Scots heretige wull ne’er forget.

Ah ken whit yi mean Joak, its no the same as when ah wis young.
Am a first generation Scots, ah wiz born here. Ma mither wiz Irish and ma faither wis half Irish an half Spanish, bit he wiz born in Ireland. Ah hiv aways felt Scottish an a love the history an the people, but the people are no as friendly as they were when ah wis wee. Things change, an no always fir the better …

O!
((((hugs))))
What a wonderful tribute this is…beautiful and full of meaning…

Great atmosphere and much sadness. It hasn’t passed my notice that on my visits to Scotland that many tourist attractions are run by ‘white settlers’ so it’s not surprising that ‘Scottishness’ is being diluted. When in Shetland (Technically part of Scotland) I went into a craft shop and general store in the middle of nowhere and when I got chatting to the owner, I found he was from just down the road from me in Leeds. It’s OK to get heavy now and then, joak. It shows you care – would that more did.

A powerful piece of art joak. Image and words are very moving. I see it here as well. Agnes xx

Lovely shot joak, and how sad to lose one’s culture.

Mornin Joak,
I like your image and share your sentiments, the Aussie way of life has suffered massive cultural changes over the past 50 years, it’s called progress!!!!!
Sadly there’s nothing we can do about it, yesterday’s gone and nothing will bring it back, I imagine every generation has similar feelings.
My perception is the changes that have taken place since the end of WW2 have happened so rapidly that they border on being (culturally) catastrophic.
Of course we make these observations while uploading digital images to internet sites!!!! guess we all share the blame.

wonderful image Joak and so long as there is someone like you to keep the faith then all’s good my friend

Love ‘N’ Laughter Kriss

nicely set, dear…this looks great

love it joak – a really poignant capture!!

Great feeling of distant echoes from the past the metalwork on the shield looks
so good

I can’t do the accent but loved your story, joak, and this wonderfully atmopspheric shot!

There will always be a fighting Spirit that everyone will know and they do know …..A very Proud People we Scot’s are and I feel proud now to look upon your Image Joak…..........Thank You Friend….....xxx

WOW! LOVE this! says it all:) xoxox

AYE Laddy Yo Goat Me Greeting Its Wan ae they wans again Freeedooommmmmmmmm!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Hail Caledonia Joak You could Muster and General A Scottish Army Wae Yir Passion Big Yin, Cmoan Lads Were Taking back ooor Country Brillliiiaaannnnttt Picture Son!!! Frank

very moody joak, lots of atmosphere, and its good to get heavy sometimesxxx

Great shot joak and a great story too. I was invited to join a group called ImageWriting and think this would be perfect for it!

A powerful statement Joak!!!! Stand Up and be at the forefront of your forebears. Keep the Spirit ALIVE!!!!!!!!!!

Great image Joak !!!!

Couldn’y agree more. Scottish culture is being eroded. Our communities our unique creativity, our industry and our sense of being Scottish is slowly melting into the global commercial world. Scotland the nation is turning into Scotland PLC. (part of the Great Britain group) I’ll stop now as I could go on at length about this….....See that picture – well that shows the very tools that once carved our nation and landscape and I have given it a feature spot.

Great shot Joak, wonderful composition!! Dare I ask if you were nude when you took this shot!! ;-)

I agree Joak the mists of time are slowly erroding our culture into nothing more than a distant memory. New year used to be a great time with large gatherings, singing old songs & many old traditions but they’ve largely gone & we’re left with a cheap tacky tourist version.
Fabulous shot!!

Excellent, fabulous picture, well done,dawnx

It’s work like this that made way for famous quotes like ‘a picture is worth a thousand words’.... the image takes you back in time and evokes triumph and grief all in one moment. I don’t know how you always manage to do it Joak, but I can hear bagpipes when I see your heart lain out like this…

However, ShaunW also makes a good point… : )

Beautiful moody shot joak… a little piece of history :)

It’s a wonderful evocative image joak but now I feel guilty for living here! No, I don’t, there are thousands of Scots who have chosen, not been forced, to leave Scotland to live all over the world so I don’t feel so bad. And I do resent being called a White Settler, not by you I hope. I love Scotland and have done my bit to show its unique beauty to the world and give a warm Scottish welcome to thousands of overseas visitors. Can you blame us for wanting to live here?

Beautifully expressed and presented Joak!!! You’ve done a wonderful job on this!! *-)

A beautiful testament to times gone by…... lovely light and composition.

‘Ae, you ARE still here, thank God, and I resonate with your wonderful words dearest Joak. I love your language and your wonderful culture. It is a very part of my heart and soul, for as we have discussed before, there is Scottish blood in flowing through my veins. So tell me my friend, what can we do to help you keep the culture and language alive. What can I do to help you?
Are you holding classes to teach the young people the culture, customs, language and ways of your dear land and people? Is it possible for you to teach them how to write your language exactly as it sounds? I love it so much!
You spell the words exactly as they sound and I can almost hear your voice. It is a fascinating world you live in Joak. And I love this wonderful image. The symbolism rings true in your carefully framed portrait and the meaningful symbolism in the objects you have chosen speak so much more than a thousand words. You wonderful Highlanders must hold frequent festivals and not just once a year. ‘Ae, you could devise a plan and get together and have a good reason for a festival every week! Go to the schools and spend time with the children. Write your memoirs and preserve your language and history. Pass your wonderful culture, customs, and fascinating stories down in written form. And when you do publish, I want a copy!! I mean this sincerely Joak!

Congratulations on your feature in Dimensions

Beautiful, evocative image. I loved reading your description.

I didn’t think that was your thought my friend, it was the White Settler reference by someone else that annoyed me! The problem is a worldwide one as people move around so much now that native cultures throughout the world are being eroded by the “melting pot” effect. You do a pretty good job yourself in promoting Scottishness so keep at it, we all love it :)

WoW! brilliant capture sweetheART ;} happy hippy hugglez

An instant favourite for me Joak – I just love the emotion you have shown for a cause you are so passionate about – brilliant work!

Fantastic capture Joak.

Wonderful shot Joak:))

excellent

Powerful scene! Weapons laid down, beautiful stormy river… this is stunning!

Wonderfully, powerfully evocative…........certainly conveys your message.

This is a very emotive image Joak, which certainly prompts the viewer to ask questions. I too have been amazed when in Scotland the amount of English who have moved up there and at the loss of the Scottish culture…on the East Coast, namely Brora, I am convinced there are now more English than Scots! I’m English and it upsets me to see a culture and the old ways in Scotland disappearing! Keep up the great work and wonderful images.

Impact!

Emotional shot and thoughts. Your mood of defiance touched with melancholy comes over well. Great un.

well, it’s simple, bring back the Druids to create a magic spell and protect the old ones. poof! Romans gone, poof! invaders gone, poof! everything non Scottish gone. poof, poof, poof! just a puff of smoke and it’s all gone. But then maybe the magic will come back in different ways. nice photy joak, You got your magic sigil of a pentagram on yer shield maybe that’s why your still here.

we are there.

now this is just fantastic !!!!!!!!!!!!!

really emotice shot. Would you add it to the Highlands and Islands Photographers group – we would love it!

Rach (host)

Its more about promoting the place and the way of life here than where you live at the moment.

Feel free to join and add your images of the Highlands and Islands.

Its a beautiful image, ag lets all get together fir a wee dram.
Love and best wishes from Shetland.

hi joak …..................... and you know I share your sentiments to the fullest. There is more change becoming to Scotland over the next 5 – 10 years …........... the people are beginning to awake from the trance of their fathers before them who have for too long believed what London told them. We will see change soon and it will also be for the better.

Scotland is not an inward thinking nation but one who has spread itself around this globe ….................... there are more Scots or descendants of Scots running global organisations nowadays…...........

we have been in hiding too long and it’s about time we stood up again and called for

FREEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEDOM…......

Being English I am regularly told by my other half (a Scot) that I am personally responsible for the Highland clearances, the Glencoe massacre & also for Mel Gibsons face on the statue at Wallaces monument, ...all joking aside….you’re entitled to get heavy, that kind of passion & pride in heritage is fast disappearing & in many places (like England for instance) it has in ways already gone.
Beautifully evocative image & writing.

This is a very brooding type image! Lots of atmosphere here! It looks cold and sad. Nice work!

Stunning shot, love the props, they really make a lot of your shots. Do you hire them oot at all?

Wonserful shot… it somehow brought tears to my eyes as there is such a loneliness about it. I just love your work.

I meant… wonderful!!

Super image! Very powerful! :-)

Joak this picture brought me to tears, I’ve just been reading up on the Culloden war, How cruel were the English, the way they slaughtered the highlanders, even the dying, they didn’t spare a soul, it upsets me to think how they ruined all those lovely clans and like you said they are dying out, why is it that we have to destroy age old cultures, For What?? makes me so angry, and after reading about that war I really hate what the English did. must stop as I’ll really go off.