Jess and Charlie from The Travel Project quit their jobs in 2016 to travel the world, using only the tips they receive through Instagram. Since then they have used the app to connect with like-minded people and see the world through the eyes of locals. We caught up with the pair to speak about their latest travel adventure in Scotland with their Leica CL.

We started The Travel Project out of a shared passion for exploration and adventure. We wanted to travel the world but steer clear of overly trodden paths instead of connecting with locals in order to uncover deeper, more personal experiences.

We aim to learn about the places we visit, leaving them with an educated understanding of what makes them tick, what makes that particular corner of the world unique? Often these adventures lead us to parts of the world ‘out of season’, visiting at a time tourists are nowhere to be seen and normal life is back in control, dictating the rhythm again.

And this is precisely what led us to the most northern tip of Scotland in early December.

Wild, rugged and unpredictable this extremity of mainland Britain is ripe for adventure with countless lochs, snow-capped mountains and a noticeable lack of humans. We made our way up there fuelled predominantly by curiosity – How can we have lived in the UK for 32 years and still not know what this part of the island holds?

Basing ourselves in Durness we explored the surrounding landscapes for four days. Four days engaged in a constant battle with the elements. Never have we experienced such unpredictability as torrential rain driven by aggressive winds gave way to glorious sunshine in the blink of an eye. It’s fair to say that the conditions were a test for our photography skills.

And that’s why we were incredibly thankful to be armed at all times with our trusty Leica CL.

The first thing that struck us was its size – it’s small and compact, easily slipping in and out of our jacket pockets as we climbed mountains, braved storms and explored the beaches. And then, of course, there’s the quality of image, the CL is beautifully presented with a classic aesthetic however the advance technical abilities of the camera result in a quality of image head and shoulders above anything we’ve used before. What’s more, handy features such as touch focus allowed us to adjust and shoot in next to no time which is imperative when trying to capture real moments out in the field.

The perfect companion on any adventure, Scotland or beyond…

Find out more about The Travel Project on Instagram.

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