For many Scottish artists the spectacular scenery of Scotland, both rural and urban, was their main source of inspiration. This included the dramatic mountains, lochs and glens of the Highlands and the wooded valleys and farmlands of Perthshire and the Scottish Borders, as well as the remarkable architecture of cities such as Edinburgh. Alexander Nasmyth, a landscape designer as well as artist, laid the foundations with his landscapes and cityscapes characterised by a truth to nature and detailed observation.

Queen Victoria and Prince Albert both had a deep love of Scotland and commissioned many Scottish artists to commemorate the ‘inexpressibly beautiful’ scenery they treasured. James Giles recorded many views around Balmoral of heather-clad landscapes populated by stags for the Queen. Peter Graham celebrated the romantic character of the Highlands and Gourlay Steell chronicled the various animals, such as Highland cattle, often in remote locations. The English artist, Sir Edwin Landseer, also painted the Highlands and its animals, particularly deer, for Queen Victoria but his work is not included in this exhibition of Scottish artists.