ABOUT:

The Isle of Skye paintings arose from Barbara Macfarlane’s two visits to the Island in May & October 2011. She saw whales and seals, the clear blue sea, black rocks, white sand and moss-covered hills.

As with her previous two exhibitions here, “Iceland” and “Terre Rouge”, these paintings provided Barbara Macfarlane with the challenge of exploring another new subject: the elemental and mysterious, rugged yet beautiful Isle of Skye.

Her time was mostly spent walking and drawing along the north and east coast, from Staffin Bay to Talisker, taking in Coral Beach, Neist Point and Waternish. These are places of magnificent rugged beauty, which also reflect the many myths and legends associated with the island.

Although noted for its beauty, every legend or historic tale about the Waternish peninsula is full of witches, horror and gloom! One legend tells of three witches, who could change into large black cats and killed a small boy after he broke his promise of secrecy to them.

The cliffs and caves at Idrigill, close to Macleod’s Maidens, have seen much history including Viking ships and Irish coracles.

Greshornish, at the start of the Waternish peninsula, is a place known for its hospitality, the door of the manor house there (of the same name) was always open. The area has many ghosts as well as fairies. The legend of the Fairy Bridge, states that horses could see the fairies dancing on the green grass, and so would be shy to cross.

Coral Beach, is another beautiful sight, being entirely covered with snow white coral sand and small lumps of coral. Frank Fraser Darling, an English ecologist, ornithologist, farmer, conservationist and author who is strongly associated with the Highlands and Islands of Scotland, said that it was not true coral at all, but a form of seaweed (Lithohamnion). Despite this, it is much like the coral of the West Indies and reflects so much light that the sun always seems to be shining there, and one can lie back and bask in the sunshine watching the seals at play, believing that it is, as was once believed the one and only true coral beach in Britain!

Waterstein has some of the wildest scenery and steepest cliffs in Skye. Nearby Neist Point, made famous by the Brahn Seer who prophesied that one day a rock called Cnogan (Rock of the large dog whelks) should fall into the sea “with as many Stewarts as could fit on it!” The rock is already in the sea, but as far as we know without any harm to the Clan Stewart, but anything might happen in Camas nan Sithean (Fairies Bay) below Neist Point.

Loch Coruisk, with its lichen covered black rocks, is well known and has received many famous visitors over the years, including Turner, who painted it. Sir Walter Scott in his Journal described his visit to the Loch: “Vegetation there was little or none; and the mountains rose so perpendicularly from the waters edge. The murky vapours which enveloped the mountain ridges, obliged us by assuming a thousand varied shapes, changing their drapery into all sorts of forms, and sometimes clearing off altogether. It is an exquisite savage scene.”

Talisker, now home of the famous distillery, was at one time the home of a school for Heroes, teaching the art of war, run by Skiach (goddess/mortal). It was so well known that Cuchullin, the Hero of Ulster and “greatest warrior of the world” decided to go there. Legend tells that he took two great strides from Ireland landing on Talisker Head, then a third to meet up wth Skiach and her school.

ARTISTS:
Barbara Macfarlane Oil on handmade paper