Wednesday 10 July 2019

Scotland by Rail - Markinch station - book swap and old railway photos - Grey Partridge recovery project


A station I've seen from the train many times through my life, usually on the way to and from Aberdeen or Montrose, but never before got off at. It's in a steep cutting and the infrastructure - buildings and bridges is modern but go into the ticket office waiting room and you find a book-swap bookcase, loads of fascinating old rail photos stacked across all the windowsills (there are lots of windowsills) and a wooden train set. Absolutely brilliant and what a difference made to an otherwise functional, standardised, uninspiring building. And how inspiring that this sort of thing is still allowed in as large an organisation as ScotRail. Thank you stationmaster and thank you ScotRail.


You can walk out into the countryside from Markinch station in only moments and a couple of miles of country road between woods and meadows gets you to the fields, copses and hedgerows of Balgonie Farm. This is the home of a really successful-sounding Grey Partridge Recovery Project. Grey Partridge are one of our native 'game' birds and are now Red-List threatened with extinction having crashed to a tiny percentage of their historic UK population. Europe-wide they are declining.




I was exploring with artist friend Kittie Jones who you probably already know of but if you don't please enjoy her work here:

We didn't see Grey Partridge but they are hard to spot. We did see a pretty good mix and quantity of birdlife.


Farms can be great for nature, should be, and I believe more and more will be. Ditto gardens, parks, playgrounds, office rooftops...



I look forward to going back to explore around Markinch more. And taking Oren to play with that train.

















How to get there:

Trains to Markinch are easy from Edinburgh and Fife in particular. 

The station and the castle are only open 1st April to 31st October.

Click 'The East Coast and Fife' timetable and 'Buy Tickets' on ScotRail website.




Many thanks to ScotRail for enabling and supporting my ongoing Scotland by Rail work.



Monday 1 July 2019

Linlithgow Line Gallery 'Summer Light' exhibition until July 23rd, & online

If you can't get along to the Line Gallery in Linlithgow between now and July 23rd to see Summer Light exhibition by me and five other artists, you can see them all in this blog post.

Linlithgow is my hometown and the Line is the first gallery I ever exhibited with back when I was in my final year at Edinburgh College of Art (14 years ago!). I'm always delighted to be exhibiting with them again.

Until 23rd July at:

The Line Gallery
238 High Street, Linlithgow, EH49 7EF

Tues - Fri 10 - 5
Sat 9 - 5
Sun 1 - 4
Mon CLOSED


Linlithgow is very rail accessible with four fast long trains per hour from Edinburgh and Glasgow.


If you're interested in buying please contact Gail and Elizabet at the Line to check which pieces are still available. 

Email all@thelineonline.co.uk or phone +44 (0)1506 670 268.

** all these artworks are mounted but unframed, unless otherwise specified below **


Atlantic light
watercolour
10x25cm
£250

Boddin limekiln
watercolour & pencil
25x32cm
£400

Buchan coast
watercolour
25x30cm
£400

croft
acrylic
26x20cm
£475

desert yellows
acrylic & ink
23x12cm
£175

Do Not Approach, Seabird Research Data Collection
watercolour
18x35cm
£400

Dunnottar Castle
watercolour & pencil
25x35cm
SOLD

island gateway
acrylic
10x14.5cm
£275

island helipad
watercolour
31x41cm
£650 (framed)

island life
acrylic
7.5x25cm
£300

summer cliffs
watercolour
26x38cm
£650 (framed)

mountain streams
acrylic
15x21cm
£325

Pilgrims Haven
watercolour
13.5x15cm
SOLD 

Pilgrims Haven
watercolour
15x21cm
SOLD

rain cloud east of May
watercolour
15x21cm
SOLD

razorbill, Isle of May
watercolour
15x21cm

red mountains
acrylic
9x27cm
£150

secret bay, coots, Linlithgow Loch
watercolour & pen
23x30cm
SOLD

Storr
watercolour & ink
29x41cm
£450

the puffin and the angel
acrylic
20x28cm
£450