Words and images by Fiona from the Winter edition of Scotland in 4 Seasons

Tempting as it might be, I have resisted packing golf clubs instead of brushes and set off to capture the first snowfall on the tops of the West Munros. 

It has happened, it is already here, the rich autumnal colours have been replaced.

Snow-capped peaks in brilliant winter white now adorn my paintings and ‘Affric Glow’ is the first in a new body of work to celebrate the change of season. Every inch of the blank canvas has been covered in delicious textural mark making, in cool tones of emerald greens and cobalt blues. 

Glen Affric is a spellbindingly beautiful glen in the Highlands of Scotland. 

Golf and gardens at the Crask of Aigas are always a welcome pastime, but knowing there is a bigger distraction en route, in the form of the ochre walls of the Kilmorack Gallery, I realise the need to focus on the visuals.

Having laid empty for 25 years, the reused B listed Kirk now houses a unique and spiritual blend of Scottish art. And I am not disappointed, delighted to rediscover Allison Weightman’s masterly hand-built ceramics and so fortunate to have been gifted one of her innovative pieces, I can marvel again at the explosive patterns of the entry and exit wounds inflicted on the leather-hard material by her unusual choice of tool; the shotgun.

Alison was accidentally shot in the leg as a child. Realising the intense focus required to shoot, this process almost became a meditative action for her. Firing through clay, from different angles and distances, to achieve distinctive and individual effects. 

It is here I will share news of another material, Clashach stone. Not only is it beautiful but also intrinsically connected to this region and therefore the ideal choice to realise the vision of Sans Facon’s, The Gathering Place.

There are not many places in the world where you can see people fishing for salmon in the middle of town. The River Ness is a cherished place, its banks are actively used by walkers and the annual raft race is a family favourite. Along the riverside there are steps down to the water, here, people would wash their clothes and memories of elephants from the circus being walked into the shallows to splash around have been recounted. 

A new public artwork for Scotland has not gone unnoticed by the people of Inverness. 

There are, of course, opposing viewpoints. I went to make up my own mind and was fortunate to listen to one of its creators, Tristan Surtees.

“…it’s a singular line that carries onto the opposite side of the river, like a stage with the river as the main focus…”

The river is at the heart and the structure takes the visitor on a journey through the Scottish landscape, transforming from a bench to a pathway, a platform and eventually an overhanging viewpoint. 

“…. the project is not really about the thing, but more about the place and response to it …. this hopefully will have its use in separate ways….and can embody and celebrate those experiences”

The Gathering Place can be found alongside the fishers’ hut and Little Isle Pool, partly nestled into the riverbank, and partially floating above the water.