We invite you dive into a unique underwater sonic journey of a selection of lochs from the Scottish Highlands. Underwater Cairngorms, the new album from award-winning composer Mhairi Hall and renowned field recordist David de la Haye, combines the mysterious underwater soundscapes of freshwater lochs with impressionistic piano composition. Underwater Cairngorms transforms our understanding of the Cairngorms landscape through imagination and creativity whilst documenting the environmental challenges of these freshwater locations. This unique collaboration between piano, harmonium, and underwater soundscape transports the listener to another world. Although sounding digitally processed, the album is almost entirely acoustic, from the resonance of the piano strings, the breath of harmonium bellows, the reverbs of lochs and the sounds of aquatic nature.

Over the course of a calendar year, Mhairi and David researched the seasonal effects on the underwater soundscapes. Freshwater habitats remain largely undocumented across the UK and have never been recorded in the Cairngorms until now. Over the year, Mhairi and David visited six locations: Loch Garten, River Feshie, Loch Morlich, An Lochan Uaine, An Lochan Uath and Loch Mallachie.

The underwater recordings provided an audiological glimpse into a hidden world. David shares: “sat between rugged mountain and coniferous woodland, breathing in the crisp air and encapsulated by the quietude; it was an magical experience.” David's ongoing creative research alongside an international team of freshwater researchers is helping to identify some of these sounds, but many remain unknown. Mhairi and David used these sounds and locations as their inspiration to write new music. Mhairi composed the music in the traditional sense while David composed the captured sounds.

Mhairi shares how creating this album has created a deeper understanding of the locations: “spending hours by each loch, with a clear head listening for the possibility of a sound I've never heard before in my life is not only inspiring but hugely humbling. I have lived by these lochs and rivers all my life but 'Underwater Cairngorms' has given me a new perspective of these places, a deeper understanding, respect and a real desire to help preserve them. Writing the music flowed easily, I hope I did them well and people get a real sense of the special places that they are.” The duo blended their creations together, passing back and forth to try and craft these musical offerings which combines their research, connection to place and provides a new perspective of these beautiful and delicate bodies of water.

Underwater Cairngorms was made possible by the funding of Creative Scotland and the support of Buglife, NatureScot and Cairngorms National Park Authority.