In Spring 2025, I stayed on the Island in the Firth of Forth in Scotland. Formed of volcanic rock and 1.5km long, it has been only lightly touched by humans. There is the ruins of St Adrian’s Chapel and the remains of the monastery walls, two lighthouses (one in use and the other next to the Bird Observatory in which I stayed, accompanied by four other artists) and a house for the NatureScot research team.

Nonetheless, it is thriving with life. 65,000 pairs of puffins constantly fly across the island, coming in from sea with their catches and attempting to make it back to their nests before Herring Gulls steal the fish from them. On the cliff faces, Guillemots and Razorbills squeeze themselves onto the tiniest of ledges, constantly moving and chattering. In the sky, the near constant call of  ‘Kittiwake, Kittiwake, Kittiwake!’ from the elegant Kittiwake and in the harbour, the inquisitive seals who can’t resist looking at who is drawing them, and getting a little braver and closer each time.

There was so much to see and I made lots of drawings and paintings in watercolour, pencil and pastel. I was captivated by ‘Bass Rock’, the dome shaped island that is visible from the May. In great light, it appeared to glow because of the guano that covered it from the Gannet colony and as the fog fell, it was sometimes barely visible at all. I made lots of drawings of the Rock, watching how it changed during the week.

This wasn’t my first visit, I had been previously when I was awarded a bursary with the Society of Wildlife Artists. I was grateful to have had some experience, because it is so challenging to draw the birds, experience the landscape and try to make art which feels interesting and authentic to the spirit of the place! I think I still have work to do and luckily I have been giving the opportunity to go back at the end of May 2026.

This time, I’ll be taking oil paints. They will be a challenge to transport back, but I am so excited to capture the place with the life and expressive qualities the medium provides.