Caerlaverock Castle, an impressive 13th century triangular structure surrounded by a moat, is one of Scotland’s most important historical buildings. With its close proximity to the border of England, the castle has been involved in several bloody sieges, the most well known in 1300 when Edward the Ist (known to the Scots as Longshanks) took the castle during the wars of independence.

These images made in January of 2012 using the Victorian wet-plate collodion process are sketches of that building, and are part of a much larger project to document many of the properties of Historic Scotland. They were made in the harsh and dark Scottish winter, some during severe weather warnings (which involved myself and my equipment being blown into a ditch), sub zero temperatures, and also involved very long exposures and great amounts of patience. They are therefore not perfect and reflect the cold hands which made them.

They are all part of a learning process, and I hope that you can enjoy this project as it develops.