counter hit xanga
Assynt' | Scottish Landscape Art - Scottish Landscape Paintings

Posts Tagged ‘Assynt’’

Canisp, NW Highlands, 3 paintings

The first image in this blog is a drawing I did a number of years ago and shows two of the most well known of the Assynt mountains…… Canisp on the left and Suilven on the right.

Drawing of Suilven & Canisp

‘Assynt sky-line’

The view point for this drawing was the high ground just to the north of the fishing village of Lochinver and reaching this point by the footpath leading over to the beautiful sandy bay of Achmelvich is a very fine walk in itself.  Anyway, as you will know if you’ve been following these blogs over the years, Nita and I have visited Assynt a good number of times since our first trip there in May 2006 I think it was.  We’ve experienced it in all sorts of weather when on a couple of occasions it’s been so hot we’ve been swimming in the sea and other times when we’ve needed our winter gear in the mountains.

abstract scottish landscape paintings

‘From the SE slopes of Canisp, NW Highlands’

On our first trip to Assynt we planned to walk Canisp but we were forced to turn back at about 650m due to very strong winds ….but had a fantastic look at this fabulous hill and its amazingly ancient surrounding landscape.  We saw enough to know that we had to go back in better weather and get to the summit.  We did this the following year in what was almost perfect weather ….blue skies, a gentle breeze and warm.  We didn’t follow the small path but took a more circuitous route over great areas of bare rock, boulder fields and areas of short grass and heather.   Despite being such a perfect day, we didn’t see another soul and we reached the summit and sat there enjoying the incredible views all around, especially those across to Suilven.

abstract scottish landscape paintings

‘Between showers, from the upper slopes of Canisp’

Last year in late May we went back to this fabulous hill, but in very different conditions.  On this occasion, just like on our first trip to the hill, there were strong winds higher up, thick cloud and very heavy rain and hail showers.  We ended up doing a very similar kind of route to that first trip, reaching the same high point and then descending down the steeper north facing slopes to reach some small lochs nestling amongst the boulders.  On my return to the studio after that holiday, I decided to try and do several paintings based on this latest walk on Canisp.  I originally thought I’d do three canvases ….and here they are.

abstract scottish landscape paintings

‘Below Canisp, passing hail shower’

But I think this walk deserves another two pieces and I’m just about to start numbers 4 and 5!  The weather that day wasn’t all rain; cloud and hail, periodically there were brief interludes of bright sunshine that illuminated the very rough landscape.   There were several moments as we made our way up the south eastern facing slopes of the hill when the thinning straw coloured grasses looked really bright against the dark skies and this is one scene I’d like to capture next.  The other, was something we saw as we picked our way through the boulder fields to the north east of the main hill…..it was a strange bit of a rainbow appearing from down in the glen but petering out in the tumble of rain and hail clouds.  It was quite impressive and quite abstract ….but most of all, out here, several kilometres from the road, it made us feel very small and insignificant.  Watch this space for the final two Canisp paintings.

Diary of a trip to Assynt – week 2

Saturday May 30th

This middle Saturday of our holiday saw us packing up, cleaning the cottage and moving a few miles south to the beautiful sandy bay of Achmelvich where we’d booked a caravan for our second week.  It was kind of strange as we normally stay in one place for the two weeks.  As it turned out, it was of course, one of the best days, weather-wise, of the whole holiday but as we had the car packed full of our gear we weren’t keen on leaving it in a lay-by all day while we went on a big walk. Instead we had a very lazy day, visiting the fabulous bookshop and cafe a few miles outside Lochinver and then having a very relaxed lunch at a fine restaurant in the village.    By the time we’d finished there and done a bit of shopping for the next week’s food supplies, it was time to move into the caravan.  The weather was starting to deteriorate as we unpacked the car and we decided to grab a quick walk along the fabulous beach before the much forecast heavy rain and unseasonable gales arrived!

Sunday 31st May

Rain and much rattling of the caravan as the forecasted winds wiped out any chance of heading into the hills again.  More reading, eating and drinking ….well, it was a holiday!

Monday 1st June

Still the forecasts were for high winds up top and heavy showers, so, determined to get some walking done, we headed into the wonderful “rock garden” country just to the north of Achmelvich.  It’s a wild, rocky and complex area of low hills and lochs.  We clambered up four of these little rocky hills, each one giving fine if rather grey views of the famous Assynt sky-line.  Despite the blustery conditions all of these amazing hills were clear.   We spent about five hours wandering through and over this strange little landscape and never got higher than about 120m…. just shows you, you don’t always need to be up a big hill to have fine views.

Assynt sky line from a hillside

Assynt sky-line

Tuesday 2nd June

Yet more heavy rain, very low cloud and high winds.  Another inactive day saw us drive down to Ullapool, for more food and bookshop visiting!  Had some amazing views on the way back, with the huge dark clouds eating up the familiar Assynt peaks.  Very dramatic at times ….and very wet too!

Towards Cul Beag,

Heavy weather, towards Cul Beag,

Wednesday 3rd June

Finally a hint of slightly better conditions, especially on the lower hills to the west.  Decided to enjoy the fine views from the path that circles the rocky little peak of Stac Pollaidh.  We’ve walked this before and it’s a very popular walk…. but what the heck ….the views are just spectacular.  We certainly made the right choice as the bigger hills of Conival and Ben More Assynt were shrouded most of the day and the winds, even at the modest height we reached, were very strong.

From Below Stac Pollaidh

From Below Stac Pollaidh

On the north side of the hill I stopped and tried to make a sound recording.  We’d found a sheltered spot but could hear the wind rushing and roaring around the rocky towers that make up Stac Pollaidh.  It would have been perfect…..except that as I said  earlier, it is a very popular place and of course, just as I got the recorder working, several other walkers came along, talking at what seemed to be the top of their voices!  On my second attempt, I thought all was going well, only to hear the voices of some serious climbers making their way along the ridge above.  Hopefully everyone enjoyed their time on or around this amazing hill ….it just wasn’t the place for recording silence!

Stac Pollaidh

Stac Pollaidh

Thursday 4th June

At last, at last, we had a break in the low cloud, high winds and rain.  We decided to head up towards Conival, (one of the two Assynt Munros) but instead of following the main path we’d taken back in 2006, Nita suggested we cut up the side of an adjoining hill and make our way to a prominent point at 850m that I’d painted on several occasions in the past.  It would give big views into the north east facing slopes of Conival and Ben More Assynt.  According to the forecast, we had until about 16.00 before the cloud and rain returned and so an early start was required.  We started walking from Inchnadamph at just before seven o’clock in the morning and after a kilometre or so we left the main path and struck up the side of the hill.  As with much of the Assynt landscape the ground was very rough but I always prefer walking across open hillsides and away from paths so this was just fantastic.  We quickly got huge views back across the beautiful Loch Assynt to Quinag ….and all this in patchy bright sunshine…..couldn’t believe our eyes!

Overlooking Loch Assynt, June 4th 2015

Overlooking Loch Assynt

Higher up, the slopes became very steep and rocky, with Nita picking a careful route through the worst of these.  It was a long hard haul before finally the angle of the slope eased and we emerged onto a wild broad rock strewn ridge.  It was difficult up there to walk in a straight line as we had to follow leads of grass and moss to get through the boulder fields.  Slowly though we got closer to our objective and despite the weather starting to close in much earlier than expected, we got some great views across to the two Munros.

The rocky landscape of Conival and Ben More Assynt

The rocky landscape of Conival and Ben More Assynt

Before the rain started, we grabbed some photos and donned the waterproofs and made our way across to the main walker’s path.  This lead down through a very steep rocky little section and we found the rock very slippery here once it was wet.  Not sure what the rock was but it was certainly different to the stuff we walked on the previous week just across the way on Canisp …that was like walking on Velcro!  Not wanting to tramp back on a busy and eroded path, as soon as we were down the steepest bit, we abandoned it and made a circular route back before regaining the main track not far from Inchnadamph.  This wasn’t without concern however as it meant we were on the wrong side of a big stream and relying on the footbridge marked on the 1:25000 to still be in place.  As experience on Canisp the previous week had shown ….footbridges aren’t always permanent fixtures.  Luckily on this occasion ….it was still there.  A great sigh of relief as we saw it and a very pleasant if damp walk back to the car.

Below Conival, a steep descent

Below Conival, a steep descent

Friday 5th June

Yes, you’ve guessed it, more very heavy rain and so a return to the restaurant in Lochinver and then an hour or so packing.  Towards the middle of the afternoon the rain finally stopped and the sun came out.  We were able to enjoy a final walk along the white sandy beach ….a fine end to a fine, if rather damp trip to Assynt.  It was a holiday of much weather which if not so great for the walking, will definitely give me some new subject matter for paintings.

‘From Conival, May’

'From Conival, May' Acrylic & Pastel, 2013, 40 x 40 cm

‘From Conival, May’

‘From Conival, May’ Acrylic & Pastel, 2013, 40 x 40 cm
Current RP £720,
Price as from 1st September 2015, £1008

I know that I’ve used this painting as my artwork of the week before, but I just had to put it on again as just last Thursday we were stood near the top of this big rocky lump of a mountain that sits to the side of Conival in Assynt.  I first saw this hill as we climbed Conival back in May 2006.  It had large areas of snow on its north east facing slopes and it looked stunning.  So much so that, over the intervening years I’ve created five different paintings of it.  This is my favourite I think.  On Thursday we reached it just as the weather was turning bad but were lucky enough to get some fine views across to Conival and Ben More Assynt before the rain started.  It’s a very wild landscape up there with masses of boulder fields that make walking in a straight line very difficult.  There are plenty of grassy, mossy leads though so you rarely have to take to the boulders.  Anyway, the painting is currently showing in my studio should you like to come and see it for real.

Diary of a trip to Assynt – week 1

Saturday 23rd May 

Had the perfect start for our trip and drive north, with clear blue skies and the hills of the Southern Highlands looking stunning in their spring colours.  Warm too, it being 17 C when we stopped for breakfast at the Green Welly in Tyndrum.  But the bright conditions weren’t to last, even by the time we were a few miles up the road driving across Rannoch Moor, we could see the high grey cloud moving down from the north west.  By the time we were in Glencoe village it was grey all over and just 9°C!  Little did we know that this was a taste of things to come?  The remainder of the trip north to Assynt was under increasingly dark skies and the final few miles along the single track road to the cottage we’d booked for the first week on the Storr peninsular, saw the rain start falling.  We’d picked a beautiful spot to stay all the same and even in the gloomy light and rain of the first evening, Nita could see wild geese grazing the rough pasture outside the cottage window.

Sunday 24th May 

Woke to bright sunlight and beautiful views across the land to the sea.  In between, in the hollow in these small hills, lay a wee loch and a short wander from the cottage took us to its shore.  I was surprised to find small banks of reeds growing around the edge which made for interesting patterns and possibly, some drawings in the future.

Monday 25th May  

Quinag, Assynt

Below Quinag, heavy shower

Heavy showers and high winds forecast, so decided on a lazy day checking out access to the ground leading up to below Sail Gorm on Quinag.  I’ve wanted to try and get up to below this part of the hill for some years in order to do some sketching and perhaps make a recording or two.  We found a convenient parking place and access, at least to start with seemed good …..we just needed a little dry weather.  Even the water proof drawing pen my colleague Alex Boyd had given me, would not do too well in the very  heavy showers that kept racing in from the north west.  Got some great views of Quinag as it was engulfed in one of these showers.  Time to head for lunch at the Scourie Hotel!

Tuesday 26th May

Assynt, Sutherland

The Old Man of Storr

More heavy showers and strong winds and so not a day for the high tops.  Instead, Nita suggested we walk the few kilometres from the cottage, out to Storr Head and the Old Man of Storr.    The 1:25000 map showed no fences all the way from the road near the cottage but we soon found  our way blocked and we had an annoying  hour and a half trying to find our way as two more tracks were blocked by fences and gates.  We did finally get to the open ground and had a fine walk out to Storr Head via a small hill that even at I think, 169m, gave impressive views.  The Old Man of Storr, a huge sea stack, was well worth seeing and the roar of the sea crashing against its base, made for some interesting recordings hopefully.  We returned along the cliff tops to the Storr lighthouse and then back to the cottage along the single track road in bright early evening sunshine.  Despite a few heavy showers early on, we arrived home dry!

Wednesday 27th May

Heavy rain and gales all day.  Feet up, heaters on, food, drink and much reading  / listening to books.  It finally eased around 21.00 and a few bursts of late sun had us driving the couple of miles to the nearest beach.  Big waves and very strange light …but good to get an airing.

Thursday 28th May

Scotttish Landscape

On the lower slopes of Canisp, 28th May 2015

No let up in the cold, showers and wind ….but it did seem that conditions would be a little better, so we decided to go for a proper walk and we headed for Canisp.  We’d done two big walks on this hill in the past.  One of them, on a fine hot day, saw us reach the summit of this fine hill.  The other attempt saw us do a circular walk up to a point about 600m on the hill before being turned back by high winds.  It seemed that conditions would be similar today and so we planned to walk the same route.

Sutherland, Scottish Landscape

Between showers, Canisp, 28th May 2015

This involved crossing a large footbridge over one of the streams flowing from below Canisp.  When we got to it though ….well, it was there ….but not crossing the stream.  At some point in the past it had been swept away and was left high and dry on the bank of the stream!  All was not lost though as we were walking in one of Scotland’s finest limestone areas ….and this stream simply disappeared underground a few hundred metres up-stream!  With the water levels being so high, it hadn’t completely disappeared and we spent quite a time picking our way through and across small but luckily narrow rushing streams.  Back on course we had a fabulous walk.  At first, enjoying some bright patches of sunlight but then becoming engulfed by a series of huge hail showers that blasted down with real force.  The landscape around Canisp is so wild and rough  and these conditions really made you feel quite isolated …..there was no-one else stupid enough to be out  that day, not on this hill anyway.

Friday 29th May

Suilven, Scottish Landscape

Suilven from the near the Stoor lighthouse, 29th May 2015

After the long walk the day before, we decided to head back to the Storr lighthouse so that I could do some sketching and try and make some more sound recordings.  It was still cold but the sun was shining and the cliffs and churning waves looked great.  Had a well earned cup of tea at Living the Dream …. sat with our mugs of tea looking out over the sea…. a magnificent end to a very enjoyable first week in Assynt.

We headed a few miles south for our second week, staying in one of the caravans close to the beautiful beach at Achmelvich.  More about this second week in Assynt in my next blog.

Blog…no blog!

Sorry, no blog this week. We’re away up in Assynt and I’ll be writing about the trip next week. In the meantime, here are a couple of snaps taken on a wild walk on Canisp.
Suilven from the slopes of Canisp

Suilven from the slopes of Canisp

 

From Canisp, a bit of a rainbow during a hail shower

From Canisp, a bit of a rainbow during a hail shower

-o-o-o-o-o-

Line and Sound

I’m taking a short break from the studio soon to visit some of the quieter more remote parts of northwest Scotland.  It will be as usual, a chance for me to get out into the wild and to walk some of the rugged and very dramatic hills, mountains and coastlines in the region.

'Suilven sketch'

‘Suilven sketch’

In the past, when we’ve been away on these walking trips, I’ve always taken sketch books and have usually spent some time scribbling away, trying to capture something of the place in the lines I put down on the paper.  This year however, I’m hoping to have slightly more purpose behind the work.

'Suilven sketch'

‘Suilven sketch’

As you know, I’ve been starting to play around with the idea of using sound as part of my work and have been experimenting with making some very basic sound recordings when we’ve been out walking.  In all honesty though, I don’t really know what I want to do and in a way I’ve just been hoping that I’ll be able to generate a clearer idea through the actual process of making the recordings.   Up until now, I’ve just been taking short time-outs from the walk in order to stop and record.  On this next short trip however, I’m hoping to have the time to do some more considered recordings….. and some related drawings.  Quite how exactly, the two might go together or be presented, I still haven’t a clue.  I’m not sure whether the drawing will inform the sound recording or the sound will cause me to do a drawing.  Whatever happens, it will be a great excuse to wander around in the wild, wild landscape of Assynt and just look and listen and think.

'Sutherland coastline sketch', Pen, 2012, 210 x 148 mm

‘Sutherland coastline sketch’, Pen, 2012, 210 x 148 mm

 

'Sutherland sketch, towards Ben Loyal', Pen, 2012, 210 x 148 mm

‘Sutherland sketch, towards Ben Loyal’, Pen, 2012, 210 x 148 mm

 

-o-o-o-o-

‘Below Cul Mor, Assynt’

95 'Below Cul Mor, Assynt', Acrylic & Pastel, 2008, 80 x 110 cm.jpg

‘Below Cul Mor, Assynt’

 

 ‘Below Cul Mor, Assynt’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2008, 80 x 110 cm

 

I’ll be heading off up to the northwest of Scotland again shortly, to do a bit more walking and drawing.  I’m not quite sure which hills we’ll be heading for but I’m sure which ever ones we go to, we’ll get some stunning views.

I did this painting several years ago after our first visit to Cul Mor.  The painting is quite large and was one of my first attempts to develop the range of marks I used.  As such, it is quite a bold piece but one that I’ve always been very pleased with.   The painting is still available so if you fancy seeing it any time and can get to the studio, just let me know and I’ll make sure it’s there when you visit.

‘Heavy down pour, Harris, May 2013’

291 'Heavy down pour, Harris, May 2013', Acrylic & Pastel,2013, 30 x 30 cm

 ‘Heavy down pour, Harris, May 2013’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2013, 30 x 30 cm

I’ve had a lot of folk admiring this painting since I did it and so although I’ve shown this as the “Artwork of the Week” before, I thought I’d give it another airing.  I happen to like this piece a lot myself as it reminds me of our fabulous, if very wet two weeks on the Isle of Harris a couple of years ago.  We’re heading back up to Assynt again this year but we’ll definitely be back over to Harris before long…..it’s an amazing place.  Hopefully next time we go, we’ll get some slightly less inclement weather and we’ll get to the top of some of these magnificent wild mountains.

High quality reproductions are available of this painting.

‘Early evening, below Canisp’

318 'Early evening, below Canisp', Acrylic & Pastel, 2014, 30 x 30 cm.jpg

‘Early evening, below Canisp’

 

‘Early evening, below Canisp’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2014, 30 x 30 cm

We’ve been looking for places to stay for our walking holiday this year.  Still very drawn to Assynt although whether we’ll be able to find anywhere to stay at this late stage is debatable ….we left it a little late for booking anywhere.  I guess it might have to be the tent this year!  Fingers crossed for extra good weather!

If we do get up to Assynt, I’m hoping to get back to the summit of Canisp again.  Nita and I climbed it several years ago on a beautiful fine spring day.  The views from the summit were amazing.   We stopped for a rest at a small loch tucked down underneath the main bulk of the hill on our way down and this little painting is about that time and place.  It’s very very peaceful and as it is off the main track by some way ….it felt quite remote and quiet.  This painting is currently hanging in my studio if you’d like to see it up close.

‘Evening light. On Cul Mor, Assynt’

'Evening light. On Cul Mor, Assynt', Acrylic & Pastel, 2014, 30 x 30 cm

‘Evening light. On Cul Mor, Assynt’

‘Evening light. On Cul Mor, Assynt’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2014, 30 x 30 cm

People often ask me how I create these paintings and whether I just do them from photographs. This piece is an interesting case and kind of answers that question.

When we are walking I do of course take quick photographs. If the weather is good and the midges aren’t too thick, I stop and do very quick sketches. I use both of these as memory joggers ….but most of the work comes simply from the memories of the places we go and the hours and hours we spend each year wandering over the hills and through the glens of Scotland.

Back in May we spent a fine day walking one of the finest hills in Assynt, Cul Mor. We actually had some pretty fine weather for the whole of the walk and had some marvellous views out across this strange and beautiful landscape. As the day went on however, the cloud thickened and it became quite gloomy and threatening. We were well down the hill by the time the cloud started to drop onto the summits but I remember it being a very strange kind of light and scene. This painting then is actually based on a view point high up on the hill, but trying to imagine what it would have looked like if we’d still been up there as the cloud started to descend.

This new little painting will be one of those on display, (and for sale, price £485) in my studio during the Courtyard Studios Open Weekend, Saturday 4th October, 11am – 5pm, and Sunday 5th October 2014, 12 noon – 5pm. I hope you can get along to see it next weekend. Everyone welcome. For more details about the event please see my latest blog.