Road Trip to Finsbay Gallery on Harris

Out of the blue, back in November 2023, I got a phone call from Valerie-Anne Ruffles, owner of Finsbay Gallery on the Isle of Harris, asking if I’d be interested in showing my work there this season. Val had seen my painting, Mara, which was an entry in the Highland Art Prize, and contacted me as a result. I was both astonished and delighted!

Weather permitting, we try to sail there every year, and a lot of my work is inspired by the light and colours of the Hebridean landscape, but it was a first to be invited to show my art there!

So, a plan was made, and we set off on a road trip in our campervan to deliver twelve paintings to Finsbay Gallery on Wednesday, 13^th March. Unfortunately, both the sailings from Mallaig to Skye and Skye to Harris were cancelled that day due to adverse weather conditions, so undeterred, we drove the long way to Uig over the Skye Bridge and enjoyed the scenery along the way. We were booked on a ferry the next day, so we had time to do a bit of exploring on Skye and found ourselves walking at the Quiraing – a famous landmark not far from Uig. No comment about the huge car park with pay & display machines to accommodate the massive influx of tourists to this famous beauty spot… Though out of season, it was still relatively quiet and didn’t disappoint.

The ferry the next day took about an hour and a half to go from Uig to Tarbert. These days, you are allowed to take your dog inside during the crossing, so Archie was chuffed about that too!

It has been a while since we travelled by road to Harris, and I’d forgotten just how breathtaking it is there. Beautifully clear, turquoise water and glorious white sandy beaches appear practically around every corner. The weather was better than forecast, which was a definite bonus, although I expect Harris to be beautiful in any weather.

It was wonderful to meet Val in person and to deliver my paintings to her lovely wee gallery, which is jam-packed with beautiful and evocative artworks. Fingers crossed that someone will like my paintings enough to want to take one home with them from their trip to Harris! Hopefully, we will get a reason to go again… maybe by sea the next time.

If you are lucky enough to visit the Isle of Harris this season, pop into the Finsbay Gallery on your travels… you won’t be disappointed.