No two things evoke excitement quite like a good book and travel. One allows you to mentally transport yourself into a fascinating new realm, while the latter allows you to physically head to the destination. Pair the two together and you have a formula strong enough to inspire even the most timid of travelers.

Photographer Alex Treadway, whose work has been featured in National Geographic and other prominent publications, travels around the world to capture images for our Luxury Gold magazine. We caught up with him to find out more about his journeys and what inspires him. 

A land of majestic rolling hills, mountains and lochs, bold tartans and ringing bagpipes, Scotland captures the imagination at every turn. This country is endlessly inspiring, from its wild and windswept landscapes to its colorful history of bloody battles, ancient rituals and feuding clans. For many, it’s Scotland’s fascinating cultural legacy that’s most intriguing, a story set in the castles and clearings that are still around today. Here, we look at the great clans of Scotland, and the people and places that shaped the country’s turbulent past.