The Highlands, particularly the Torridons, are the oldest mountains in Europe, so have the mystery of the ages surrounding them. Bare, towering ranges, sometimes sparsely covered with forestry, will cast shadows over the valleys or glens. Buzzards and eagles can be spotted wheeling high up on the cliff sides whilst deer will often lope away, surprised by walkers. On misty and rainy days the Highlands exude nostalgia and the sadness of the people's history fills the air with the softness of a lament.
The Highlanders themselves are a vigorous people who maintain a true bond to their native mountains and glens. Organised in clans, they lived a free life amidst nature but were never spared from the harsh realities of their daily life. Clan feuds and the hard facts of day to day living blended to produce a strong-willed people with a firm sense of independence.
The best of Scottish traditions and culture are found in the Highlands: the Highland Games originally a way to train when the English forbade them to use weapons, the Highland Sword dance and Scottish music. The Highlanders were the ones to preserve most the raw Gaelic culture through language, feeling and music.
Historically the humble herring figured largely in the Highlanders' diet, along with the equally canonized porridge and haggis. The seas surrounding Scotland abounded with an overwhelming supply of herring and it was, for many years, a vital part of the staple diet.
The gutting and cleaning of the herring was always done by the women folk and the paintings of such past scenes in the old ports of Aberdeen and Ullapool are among Graham's work, together with paintings of the old sail boat ferries.
One of the less fortunate times in the social history of the Highlands is the Highland Clearances period. Many highland families were living on small plots of land or crofts. The landowners however drove them off their land to make way for the grazing of thousands of sheep. The people had no choice but to emigrate to Canada or America. This explains how it came to be that many places around the world have Scottish names.
Today there is a definite movement back into the Highland regions. As more people tire of overcrowded city life they increasingly seek the calmer life of the North. Inverness, the gateway to the Highlands, is the fastest growing city in the UK. Superb new shopping centres and handsome hotels rub shoulders easily with the more traditional back-drop. The city is watched over by the magnificent Kessock bridge which straddles the estuary from the mainland to the Black Isle.
Tourism is now one of the watchwords in the Highlands. In Summer time English, Scottish and a wholesome mixture of Europeans flock to experience the mountain scenery, the clear seas, and the exquisitely clean stretches of shining beaches.