Young Oban photographer given her big break with hotel gallery

Holly, 21, moved to the West Highlands with her parents when she was just 14 and instantly fell in love with her new surroundings. 

With a passion for photography, Holly began building an extensive collection of photographs focusing on the stunning vistas, urban landscapes and the vast array of wildlife in the area. 

In 2022, Holly began converting her photographs to canvases and selling them to close friends. In 2023, to meet demand, she set up her own company and began selling her canvas prints to the wider public including hotels and B&Bs, as well as to tourists.

Holly has travelled thousands of miles with her German Shepard puppy Rocky to capture dramatic and eye-catching images. Together they’ve been drenched, covered in mud and endured long hikes to reach remote locations. 

In the summer this year Holly wrote a Facebook post seeking a venue for her first gallery.

Muthu Hotels responded to Holly’s post and it was agreed Holly would host her first gallery at the Regent Hotel and a selection of canvases would also be displayed at the Alexandra Hotel. 

The hotel group is keen to support small local businesses and, for Holly, this is the chance of a lifetime.

The gallery at the Regent Hotel will open on Tuesday October 8 at 7.30pm. Everyone is welcome and VIP tickets including champagne and canapés are being snapped up quickly.

Holly is thrilled with how her prints have been received and said: "People are keen to have an authentic memory of their visit to the west coast of Scotland, as well as own a constant reminder as to why they should return.

"It’s brilliant Muthu Hotels are supporting the community and local arts and that they wish to help promote the incredible beauty of the west coast."

Holly’s dream is to have her photographs shared across the world so that people everywhere can see the beauty of the West Highlands. 

The new gallery across both hotels will showcase 53 unique canvases, each of which can be purchased via a QR code on a mobile device, with a choice of 15 sizes to select from.