Some places leave a mark long after you’ve left them. For me, that place is Glen Etive – a wild, breathtaking glen in the Scottish Highlands, familiar from Skyfall, where Bond and M pause to take in the sweeping mountain views. Its vast, dramatic, and quietly powerful presence became the inspiration for my first typeface, capturing the spirit of the glen in every glyph.
From Landscape to Typeface
Glen Etive was the starting point for my first typeface at Thistle Type. As I drew each letter, I kept thinking about the rhythm of the landscape – the rise of the mountains, the sweep of the river, that quiet but dramatic presence the glen has.
The result is a typeface that feels grounded yet expressive, working particularly well for titles and headings, logos, and branding that needs a touch of Scottish character.
A Creative Twist
While I was putting the promo images together, I decided to try something different. I asked ChatGPT to write a synopsis for a Highland thriller using the mood of the font as a starting point.
What came back was so intriguing that I immediately wanted to see what happened next — so I asked it to carry on and write more chapters. It turned into a completely unexpected side-project, adding a playful, slightly dramatic layer to the story behind the typeface.
You can read the synopsis in my next article: I Made a Typeface… and Accidentally Created A Thriller!
More Than a Font
Choosing Glen Etive means choosing more than a typeface. It’s a tribute to a landscape that inspires me, and the first step in a collection of typefaces shaped by Scotland’s landscapes, language, and spirit.