A free exhibition looking at the Hebridean island of Canna, owned by the Trust, is now open in Edinburgh.

The National Trust for Scotland is staging a photography exhibition about the island of Canna – the most westerly of the Small Isles – featuring stunning new work by contemporary Scottish photographer Colin Prior complemented with images from the island’s archive.

The Canna Collection includes fascinating photographs of the island and its past residents, many taken by the renowned photographer and former owner of the island Margaret Fay Shaw Campbell.

Mark Adderley, Chief Executive of the NTS, said: ‘Canna has many wonderful stories to tell, not only in terms of its fascinating history but also its present day community which in the face of great challenges continues to thrive. This free exhibition brings some of these stories to the heart of Edinburgh in a creative and beautiful way for everyone to enjoy.’

Colin Prior said: 'Canna is the jewel in the crown of the Small Isles - it’s a concentrate of volcanic landscape, of wildlife and cultural history. My two lasting memories of Canna are of the view to Rum from Tarbet, which I photographed one evening. From my elevated position on the sea-cliffs the feeling of space and isolation was acute. The other is of colour – I came across an area with the most vivid colour palette – the black basalt rocks in the spray zone were encrusted with a vibrant yellow lichen, punctuated with pink thrift plants, a combination of colours rarely found in the natural world. '

The exhibition will be accompanied by sound recordings from the island such as the atmospheric sounds of the sea and seabirds. Audio material from the archives will also feature including Gaelic readings and extracts from interviews made by John Lorne Campbell.

Exhibition details:
Venue: No. 28 Charlotte Square, Edinburgh
10th August to 20th October 2007, daily Monday-Saturday, 11am to 3pm
Free admission