About our pictures

Our pictures all have a connection to the headland, they show the places you can visit here, and the wildlife that you may see. Many of the artists live here in Caithness. If there’s one that you love, get in touch with the artist.

Lisa Poulson - Sinclair Bay

Lisa grew up in Caithness, surrounded by the county’s flagstone, heritage, and landscape. She creates landscapes using photographs of Caithness stone captured from various sites including harbours, beaches, paving slabs and even ancient standing stones. You can buy her work at the Coo's Tail in Thurso.
https://www.inspiredbycaithness.com

Lisa Poulson - Stonescape - Sinclair Bay
Lisa Poulson - Stonescape - Sinclair Bay

Mary Andrews – Black Throated Divers

Mary trained first as a research scientist before returning to her first love which is art. She says “… my work is an effort to express my excitement in the beauty of the animals and plants around my Highland home”. I bought this lino cut from an exhibition in Caithness Horizons, now the North Coast Visitor Centre.
mary.andrews5@btinternet.com
https://highlandprintstudio.co.uk/artists/mary-andrews/

Mary Andrews – Black Throated Divers
Mary Andrews – Black Throated Divers

Chris Birse - Caithness Map

This map was designed by Chris Birse of Fantasy World Maps, for the Caithness Broch Project. You can get them from the Broch project website, or the Coo's Tail gallery in Thurso.

Caithness Fantasy Map designed by Chris Birse for the Caithness Broch Project
Caithness Fantasy Map designed by Chris Birse for the Caithness Broch Project

Jen Horsey

My sister gave me these when I opened the Cottage - I love Jen's humour, using beachcombings to make these wee pictures. You can find her on Facebook and Instagram.

Two collages using sea-glass and driftwood by Jen Horsey
Jen Horsey - Beach findings

Copper Top Croft – NC500 Postcards

Anna Mayon is a visual artist from Inverness, designs are based on Anna’s original ideas, drawings and Lino Prints (carved blocks, inked and printed) in collaboration with her husband Scott. These came from the Coo’s Tail Gallery in Thurso.
www.coppertopcroft.com

Travelling the North Coast 500 - by Coppertoft
Travelling the North Coast 500 - by Coppertoft

Little Indie's House - Orca at Noss Head

I love "Little Indie's" work - she makes stools, lamps, bags and all sorts of good things. I even have some tweed Christmas baubles from her for my tree! When I saw this, I had to get it. We may get a couple of close visits by orca each year, so it's a special day when we see them.  You can see more of her work on Facebook.

Tweed picture - Orca at Noss Head - Little Indie's House
Orca at Noss Head - Little Indie's House

Georgina McMaster – Bees

Georgina’s work is mainly based on animals, in particular Scottish wildlife. She endeavours to capture the character and soul of the animal. I bought Georgina’s pictures from the Coo’s Tail Gallery in Thurso.
www.georginamcmaster.com

Georgina McMaster – Bees
Georgina McMaster – Bees

Anna Wright – Starlings

Anna creates lively illustrations of animals and birds; a gentle sense of humour runs through all her work, alongside a passion for drawing. She is from Dumfries and is now based in Edinburgh and Kennington. I got this print from the Coo’s Tail Gallery in Thurso; her prints, cards, stationery, books and homeware are also available via her website.
https://annawright.co.uk/

Anna Wright – Starlings
Anna Wright – Starlings

Stephen Collins - Holiday Cottage Bingo

I saw this cartoon in the Guardian, and realised I had to have it! I'll admit our knives are blunt - that's why we have a knife sharpener. And I am not sure about any ghosts. But I think we avoid most of the rest!

https://www.stephencollinsillustration.com/shop/

Stephen Collins - Holiday Cottage Bingo - Please respect his copyright

Stephen Collins - Holiday Cottage Bingo - Please respect his copyright

F S Begg – Sinclair Bay

Frank Begg has been painting the wildlife and landscapes of northern Scotland since the 1960s and his paintings depict ways of farming that are now long-gone, though the view of Sinclair Bay looking over to Noss Head and Castle Girnigoe has not changed since he painted it. I had a long chat with him when I bought the print of his painting at the Toll Gallery, Bridge End, Thurso.

F S Begg – Sinclair Bay
F S Begg – Sinclair Bay

Keith Tilley - Noss Head

I love Keith's sensitive watercolours; he really understands the light here in Caithness. I saw this on his Facebook page, and rushed to get it. You can also follow his blog online.

Keith Tilley - watercolour of Noss Head
Keith Tilley - watercolour of Noss Head

Lisa Weller – Sandigoe Beach

Lisa is our neighbour in Papigoe. She has been painting full time since 2009 after moving here from the south of England. She also does healing work at her cottage and studio at Haven House Healing in Papigoe.

https://www.havenhouseart.com
info@havenhouseart.com

Lisa Weller – Sandigoe Beach
Lisa Weller – Sandigoe Beach

Sylvie Veyres – Covers for Les Etioles de Noss Head by Sophie Jomain

These books in the Twilight tradition are only available in French, alas.

Sylvie Veyres – Covers for Les Etioles de Noss Head by Sophie Jomain
Sylvie Veyres – Covers for Les Etioles de Noss Head by Sophie Jomain

Sheelah Sparkes – Rock Life

Sheelah is an artist and calligrapher who was born in North Yorkshire. She has lived and worked for many years in the Highland village of Portmahomack, Easter Ross. I bought this print from an exhibition at Caithness Horizons, now the North Coast Visitor Centre.

Sheelah Sparkes – Rock Life
Sheelah Sparkes – Rock Life

Jane Smith – Puffin Landing

Jane came to wildlife art via a degree in Zoology and a career filming wildlife. She sketched the young Seal on the Shore in Oak Call Ink while she was an Artist in Residence in the oak woods at Taynish. I bought both pictures direct from the artist.
janesmithwildlifeart.blogspot.com/

Jane Smith – Puffin Landing
Jane Smith – Puffin Landing

Jane Smith – Seal on the Shore

Jane Smith – Seal on the Shore
Jane Smith – Seal on the Shore

Dawn Maciocia – Wildlife on cushions and lampshades

Dawn lives in Fife where she creates collage paintings using hand painted torn papers. She finds life serious and deliberately creates work that’s light-hearted. This is why we chose her work to brighten up the Living Room.  We bought the cushions and lampshades in the Coo’s Tail Gallery in Thurso.
https://dawnmaciocia.com

Katie Squires - Sea Shells

Katie is an exciting young print-maker who moved to Keiss in 2019. She is developing her own style and is working increasingly with the local community. You can find her on Facebook and on her own website.

Katie Squires - Shells
Katie Squires - Shells

Sarah Jane Holt - Noss Head Lighthouse

Sarah Jane Holt describes herself as "a Northumbrian artist and fan girl". I loved the sky behind the lighthouse in her print. You can find her on Etsy.

Sarah Jane Holt - Noss Head Lighthouse
Sarah Jane Holt - Noss Head Lighthouse

David Armitage - The Lighthouse Keeper's Lunch

Be careful what you read your children! This is the book that started it all for us when my in-laws read this to my husband when he was a child. David Armitage was raised in Australia and studied fine art before embarking on a career which has seen his paintings exhibited throughout New Zealand, Australia and the US. This is the cover he painted for his wife's book.

David Armitage - The Lighthouse Keeper's Lunch
David Armitage - The Lighthouse Keeper's Lunch

Eli Mack - Map of Wick

Eli is a local artist commissioned to draw the maps of Wick you see by the harbour and on the way into town driving South from John o'Groats. I was lucky she still had a copy of this version of her map available. You can find her on Facebook.

Eli Mack - Map of Wick
Eli Mack - Map of Wick

David Armitage - The Lighthouse Keeper's Tea

David Armitage - The Lighthouse Keeper's Tea
David Armitage - The Lighthouse Keeper's Tea

Tabitha Mary - Shipping Forecast Print

We all want to know the places those magical names relate to, and living at a lighthouse is the perfect excuse to get this print by Tabitha Mary. She says it all started when her mum and dad asked her for a map of the Shipping Forecast for Christmas; she couldn't find one anywhere; so she decided to design her own.
https://tabithamary.co.uk/

Tabitha Mary - Shipping Forecast Map
Tabitha Mary - Shipping Forecast Map

 

Louise Worthy – Mermaid’s Purse and Lapwing Sunset

Louise worked in the fashion industry for over 20 years. When she moved to Sutherland in 2005, she could be more hands-on creative and for a number of years she used a converted ACME mangle for producing her prints!  We bought two of her ink monoprints of shore birds from an exhibition at the Caithness Horizons gallery, but you can buy her work from her website and on Etsy.
https://www.louiseworthy.net
www.etsy.com/uk/shop/LouiseWorthyArtist

Louise Worthy – Mermaid’s Purse and Lapwing Sunset
Louise Worthy – Mermaid’s Purse and Lapwing Sunset

‘CAITHNESS SHIRE.’ by W. H. Lizars c.1885

I found this in the Highland Hospice charity shop in Thurso, but the Coo's Tail is great for old maps of the area, and this pops up fairly often online.

Old map of Caithness
Old map of Caithness

G E Newton- Oilette Postcard: Girniegoe (sic) Castle, Wick

GE Newton painted picture postcards before the First World War. Newton must have painted the picture, or at least sketched the position of the moon, early one summer’s morning. These postcards occasionally turn up on ebay.  It is displayed with other vintage postcards of the castle and lighthouse.

Vintage postcards of Castle Sinclair Girnigoe and Noss Head Lighthouse
Vintage postcards of Castle Sinclair Girnigoe and Noss Head Lighthouse

Print of Castle Girnigoe

This print came from the Royal Mile Gallery in Edinburgh.
www.royalmilegallery.net/

Print of Castle Girnigoe
Print of Castle Girnigoe

Print of the Herring Fleet in Wick, with Noss Head in the distance

This imaginative view shows many East Coast fishing landmarks; we got it from the Highland Hospice Charity Shop in Thurso, but it was originally printed by the John o'Groats Journal.

Photo to follow.

Pelican Design Consultants - Castle Sinclair Girnigoe

This image really brings the castle to life - we think it was commissioned by the Clan Sinclair Trust for the information panels outside the Castle and we're delighted to have a copy here in the Cottage.

This has been reframed - updated photo to follow

Pelican Design Consultants - Castle Sinclair Girnigoe
Pelican Design Consultants - Castle Sinclair Girnigoe

Noss Head Mirror

VisitScotland said I needed a mirror in this room, and I wanted something special. So I was delighted when I found John at Gemini Mirrors and asked him to create one of the lighthouse here at Noss Head.

Noss Head Lighthouse Mirror
Noss Head Longhouse Mirror

The Far North Line

One of the best railway journeys in Scotland, and that sets the bar pretty high! I picked this up at a tourism event, and love how it shows some of the not-so-touristy things.

https://www.fnlcrp.co.uk/

Cartoon map of the stations on the Far North Line.
Cartoon map of the stations on the Far North Line.

Emma Horne - Two Blue Dogs at Noss Head

Two Blue Dogs Designs is the showcase for the Artwork of Emma Horne, inspired by Sheepdogs and Scotland. We love Emma's style and asked her to create images of Noss Head for us - they are available exclusively in our "shop".
https://www.twobluedogsdesigns.com/
https://www.facebook.com/2bluedogsdesigns

Emma Horne - Two Blue Dogs - Lighthouses
Emma Horne - Two Blue Dogs - Lighthouses

Jane Strugnell – Castle Sinclair Girnigoe and Noss Light

Jane came from Coventry and now lives here in Caithness. She says “I previously tried to diversify into several other artistic areas, but having realised that I am not going to live forever and some things had to go, the painting was the activity that survived!” We bought the prints of Jane’s watercolours from John o’Groats Crafts.
http://www.artworkscotland.com/
jane_strugnell@hotmail.com

Noss Head Lighthouse and Castle Sinclair Girnigoe by Jane Strugnell
Noss Head Lighthouse and Castle Sinclair Girnigoe by Jane Strugnell

Hannah Cambridge - The Black Stairs, Wick

Hanna is from Northern Ireland, and came here via Bristol. I love her work; her shop's upstairs in the High Street, and well worth looking at.  I wanted L. S. Lowry's print of the Black Stairs to compliment this, but haven't been able to find a copy good enough to frame. But who needs Lowry, when you have this?

https://www.hannahcambridge.co.uk/

Hannah Cambridge - The Black Stairs, Wick
Hannah Cambridge - The Black Stairs, Wick

 

Hannah Cambridge - Flora and Fauna of Caithness

I didn't realise that Hannah was also the artist who created this lovely modern interpretation of those lovely old botanical prints until I looked at her website for information abut the Black Stairs.

I found this in the shop at Puldagon Farm and Restaurant, and you can get your own copy from Hannah's website though.

https://www.hannahcambridge.co.uk/ 

Flora and Fauna of Caithness
Flora and Fauna of Caithness

Eswyl Fell - Beach

Eswyl is a retired teacher who used to teach at Wick High School. Mostly she is a photographer, but when I saw this at the annual Exhibition of Caithness Artists, I just loved it - for me, this IS Keiss beach.

Eswyl Fell - Beach
Eswyl Fell - Beach

 

Katie Squires - Noss Head

When I saw this on Katie's Facebook page, I had to have it! Katie is an exciting young print-maker who moved to Keiss in 2019. This images is based on a photograph her partner took while out crabbing. You can find Katie's work on Facebook and on her own website.

Katie Squires - Noss Head
Katie Squires - Noss Head

Brambler (formerly The Font Tree) – Personalised Treasured Location Print

This map with the co-ordinates for Noss Head is the picture which is both most specific and least specific to this place! I got it from Jasmine and Baz on the website Not on the High Street.
https://www.notonthehighstreet.com/thefonttree

Noss Head on the map
Noss Head on the map

Peter Walters - Treasure Island

Peter lives in North Cornwall, which makes him one of the few non-local artists; but we love his take on Treasure Island by Robert Louis Stevenson, the nephew of Alan Stevenson who built the lighthouse.
https://athenaart.com/collections/peter-walters

Treasure Island by Peter Walters
Treasure Island by Peter Walters

Bella at Noss Head

This was gifted to us --- the artist is just seven years old, but I truly expect her to be famous one day!

Bella at Noss Head
Bella at Noss Head

Highland Hare

Any day you see a hare is magical. This was one of the first pictures I bought for the cottage, and I now cannot remember where I got it or who the artist is.

Highland Hare
Highland Hare

 

 

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