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Canisp | Scottish Landscape Art - Scottish Landscape Paintings

Posts Tagged ‘Canisp’

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.

‘From the SE slopes of Canisp’

From the SE slopes of Canisp, a wet and misty day', Oil  on canvas, Work in progress

‘From the SE slopes of Canisp’, Oil on canvas, 80 x 80 cm
Work in progress

I thought for a change that I’d make this weeks Artwork of the Week an image of a piece of work that is still in progress.

I’ve been working on this painting now for several weeks, gradually building up the layers of thick oil paint. The scene is based on a view we had back in late May when we did a fabulous circular walk up and over Canisp in NW Scotland. The weather that day was really quite wild with low cloud, rain and at times, torrential hail showers ….all interspersed with short bursts of bright sunshine. This was a point where the cloud had descended onto the summits and the weather really matched the wild rugged nature of this rock strewn landscape.

There is still quite a lot of work to be done on this piece but it is getting quite close to what I’m after. If I complete it successfully, it will be the third painting I’ve done based on this walk ….and I’m planning maybe two more.

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.

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

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‘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.

‘Canisp, Assynt’

0-9-canisp-assynt-acrylic-pastel-2006-30-x-30cm

‘Canisp, Assynt’

‘Canisp, Assynt’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2006, 30 x 30 cm

Another venture into the Northern Highlands with this week’s piece…..a few years old this painting and an early attempt to mix the pastel scribbles with the paint in a more abstract way.  Very loosely based on Canisp from one of the small lochs tucked below it, this was quite a strange little piece but one that received a lot of attention and sold quite quickly too.  As I’ve said previously, I’ll not be taking paints with me on this years trip north but will, hopefully, collect and bring back lots of sketches, photos and ideas that I can use for new paintings on my return to the studio.

Where to go?

'North from the summit of Ben Hee'

'North from the summit of Ben Hee'

We still haven’t booked anywhere for our two week long holiday in May.  We’ve been more organised over the previous few years and had everything arranged by this time.  Of course, this has been quite easy as we’ve been going to the same place ….Achmelvich in Assynt.  It is very tempting to once again book one of the caravans at the little ‘Hillhead’ site there.  It is stunningly beautiful, very quiet and surrounded by amazing hills and mountains.

We have though, now walked many of these hills, Suilven, Canisp, Conival, Breabag, Sail Gharbh, Spidean Coinich, Glas Bheinn, Speicin Coinnich, Cul Mor and Cul Beag…..and have started to look further north.  We’ve done forays into Sutherland from our base in Achmelvich ….visiting Ben Hope, Ben Kilbreck, Ben Stack, Arkle and Ben Hee, but it’s a bit of a drive each time and so we’re thinking that this year we may try and find some accommodation somewhere in this most northerly part of the mainland.  I never mind revisiting hills but at the same time I get a great buzz out of walking somewhere I’ve never been before.

'Ben Hope from Arkle'

'Ben Hope from Arkle'

That said of course, we’re leaving it a bit late ….most self catering accommodation is booked quite early and so we may find it difficult to find anything in our price range that is still available for the two weeks in May.  I’m going to start searching the web and will contact the Scottish Tourist Board to get one of their brochures and then it’ll be a case of ringing around …no doubt to be told ‘fully booked, you should have booked back last autumn’!  We’ve been there before …or not ….and have ended up taking a holiday in a completely different part of Scotland!  But the thing about life is ….you have to be flexible, especially when you’re disorganised like Nita and I.  Hopefully though, we’ll see the kind of views we got last year from Ben Hee and Arkle.  But that’s the thing about Scotland…it really doesn’t matter where you go …it’s nearly all beautiful.  Any suggestions?!

'From Ben Hee, a little bit of weather!'

'From Ben Hee, a little bit of weather!'

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‘Below Canisp, Assynt’

below-canisp-assynt-acrylic-pastel-2011-30-x-30-cm

'Below Canisp, Assynt'

‘Below Canisp, Assynt’, Acrylic & Pastel, 2011, 30 x 30 cm

I started this little painting around a year ago but in the rush to get everything together for my trip to Speyer I must have put it to one side and forgot all about it.  I found it a short while ago along with some blank primed painting boards ….and decided to have a crack at finishing it.

It’s based on the wild spot immediately below Canisp in Assynt.  Set below the northern flanks of the hill (as I remember it) are a couple of beautiful wee lochs.  If you follow the route described in the books, the path avoids these lochs, climbing above them.  However it is much better in my opinion to avoid the path and make across the open and very stony ground to reach these lochs and then clamber more steeply uphill to gain the path higher up.  We sat by one of the lochs both on our way up and on our descent.  It really is a wild and remote spot …incredibly quiet and stunningly beautiful.  On the two occasions we’ve walked this hill, both times in May, we’ve seen no other walkers.  The viewpoint from the summit of Canisp is special as your eye is caught by the magnificent outline of Suilven just to the south west.  This is definitely a hill to take your time on …in May there’s no shortage of daylight and in good weather you can just wonder across this ancient and awe inspiring landscape.