Rural Words and Images is based in a rural spot near Loch Rannoch in Perthshire and is owned by Linda Mellor. Originally from Fife, Linda’s love of the outdoors grew from childhood. Now 58, her passion for the countryside has been an integral part of her working life for almost 25 years. As a freelance writer, Linda has written about countless subjects and illustrated them with her photography for magazines, websites, and offline media, she is also the author of three books and editor of Scotland in 4 Seasons Magazine.
“My creativity stems from several generations of my family.”
“My parents sketched and made things, and my grandfather made pottery, crafted jewellery and worked with wood during his career. Early influences, still with me today, are spending time outdoors watching nature, sketching, and visiting Art Galleries. Since childhood I have always felt an inner calm when I’m visiting a gallery. Writing, photography and sketching are part of my daily life. Living and working where I do, my inspiration comes directly from the local landscape and wildlife. The seasonal changes, everyday details, the light on the hills (Schiehallion is one of them), and being able to look into the lives of our wildlife, all fill me with an immense sense of hope and joy. Two of my photography passions are deer: our native Roe and Red, and sunrise. Photographing deer is a special privilege and experiencing the dawn of a new day fills me with a deep primal wonder I have yet to find elsewhere.”
“As a Scottish rural business, I appreciate some of the challenges faced.”
“Rural working and country lifestyles are choices many of us make, and would never swap. The need to be surrounded by Scotland’s countryside is not only essential for quality of life, and peace of mind, it may be a crucial element of a business product or a key aspect of a service. To run a rural business, especially if you are a sole trader or a small business, takes a lot of talent, creativity, determination, and time. Although we have many resources at our fingertips, handling all the aspects of running a rural business can be rather daunting especially when your skills directly relate to your product or service. We can’t be a mistress or master of all things.”
My Philosophy
“Keep it authentic. Our individuality, skills, age and experience are unique. Together they can make a big difference in our business and working lives, and they can’t be matched or copied.”