Living off-the-grid on the Isle of Tanera Mòr
- Text by Niall Flynn
- Photography by Kevin Percival
In 2012, photographer Kevin Percival packed up and moved to the Isle of Tanera Mòr – a remote, other-worldly shelter based off Scotland’s northwest coast.
As a part of the island’s tiny, periodical population, he lived and working there seasonally (eight months on, four months off) for a total of two years, surrounded by breathtaking landscapes and never out-of-sight of the sea. At times, he was one of just five people staying on Tanera.
Since then, he has returned for “at least a few weeks every year” as part of an ongoing photo series that sees him documenting the off-grid, faraway existence of the island and the different people – much like himself – that visit and leave their unique mark on it.
“I grew up in rural Derbyshire and I think that’s probably the single biggest influence on the photography I do,” Percival explains.
“I’ve always felt quite passionate about rural issues – both the environmental and the socio-political. Scotland became a second home, it’s the most truly wild-feeling corner of the UK: like where I grew-up, times ten.”
Titled Tanera (Ar Dùthaich), the project – which is showing in an exhibition at London’s Hotel Elephant space – entangles portraiture with distinctive shots of the island’s shapes, forms and textures, all captured – à la Chris Killip, Paul Strand – in black and white.
Framed as a “portrait of a place”, the work operates as a window into life on Tanera. From the wry smile of a young fisher, to the rock formations that long predate him, Percival traces the past and present of a place unlike any other, joining them together as one.
“Making a project about the island drew me in, because it was such a tiny area – but so full of history.”
“You can really see it written into and onto the landscape. Peat cuttings, evidence of previous fires (wild and man-made), buildings, graves, and fields – all remain visible hundreds of years after the original creators pass on.”
Tanera (Ar Dùthaich) is showing from 1 – 31 March, 2017 at Hotel Elephant.
See more of Kevin Percival’s work on his official website.
Enjoyed this article? Like Huck on Facebook or follow us on Twitter.
You might like
How Japan revolutionised art & photography in the ’60s and ’70s
From Angura to Provoke — A new photobook chronicles the radical avant-garde scene of the postwar period, whose subversion of the medium of image making remains shocking and groundbreaking to this day.
Written by: Miss Rosen
Artifaxing: “We’ve become so addicted to these supercomputers in our hands”
Framing the future — Predominantly publishing on Instagram and X, the account is one of social media’s most prominent archiving pages. We caught up with the mysterious figure behind it to chat about the internet’s past, present and future, finding inspiration and art in the age of AI.
Written by: Isaac Muk
The lacerating catharsis of body suspension in Hong Kong
Self-Ferrying — In one of the world’s most densely packed cities, an underground group of young people are piercing their skin and hanging their bodies with hooks in a shocking exploration of pain and pleasure. Sophie Liu goes to a session to understand why they partake in the extreme underground practice.
Written by: Sophie Liu
What we’re excited for at SXSW 2026
Austin 40 — For the festival’s 40th anniversary edition, we are heading to Texas to join one of the biggest global meetups of the year. We’ve selected a few things to highlight on your schedules.
Written by: Huck
In photos: The boys of the Bibby Stockholm
Bibby Boys — A new exhibition by Theo McInnes and Thomas Ralph documents the men who lived on the three-story barge in Dorset, giving them the chance to control their own narrative.
Written by: Thomas Ralph
Huck’s 20th Anniversary Issue, Wu-Tang Clan is here
Life is a Journey — Fronted by the legendary Wu-Tang Clan’s spiritual leader RZA, we explore the space in between beginnings and endings, and the things we learn along the way.
Written by: Huck
