Art in Scotland: My 2024 Bucket List

Yesterday in Edinburgh, the sunset time was 5pm for the first time this year. This is cause to celebrate! Not just that it will now still be light when we leave work, but also that spring is on the horizon which means more time for adventures. I’ve been thinking about the many places to see art in Scotland that I still haven’t been to, and I’ve made a list.

These are the top places that have been on my radar, but that I’ve never been to, even though I’m now coming up to six years of living in Scotland. Ten places equals one per month from March to December. I hope I can manage it. Quick plea: it is genuinely embarrassing to admit I haven’t yet visited some of these places, so please don’t judge me too harshly!

Little Sparta, Lanark

I’ve been saying I wanted to go hear for YEARS and for some reason, have never managed it. This is the garden of poet, writer and artist Ian Hamilton Finlay (1925-2008). The garden in its entirety is the artwork here, dotted with metal, wood and stone sculptures created by Finlay, sometimes in collaboration with other artists. The site is only open June to September, when the trees and plants are in full leaf.

Mount Stuart House, Bute

A few of the places on this list I’ve attempted to visit before, but never made it. That’s the case with Mount Stuart House. My partner and I made the journey to Bute via the train to Weymss Bay (almost worth it for beautiful station itself) and we made it as far as the gate to Mount Stewart, only to find it was closed. We wandered around the grounds a bit, possibly illegally. A reminder to always check the website and not just Google Maps. 

Specifically this year I want to see the new immersive exhibition by Alberta Whittle (an artist whose work I love and have written about here and here). The exhibition will draw from the history and landscapes of Mount Stuart House, Bute and the Clyde, to explore ancestral roots, empire and routes of power. It’s sure to be a powerful show. The house opens on 29th March 2024 and the exhibition runs from 1 June until August 2024.

The Burrell Collection, Glasgow

I first heard about the Burrell Collection when I was working at the National Gallery, and we held an exhibition of some of the most beautiful and delicate Degas pastel drawings I have ever seen. The Burrell reopened in 2022 and has since been celebrated and praised everywhere: it won the Art Fund Museum of the year last year. Alongside there Degas pastels, there’s one of the most significant holdings of Chinese art in the UK, stained glass, tapestries paintings… the list goes on and I am definitely going to need more than one visit.

Degree Shows: Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design and Glasgow School of Art

I am a huge fan of attending art school degree shows and seeing what themes are being explored by emerging artists. Scotland is home to some of the best art schools and some really talented people embracing creativity in new ways. Although I always attend the ECA degree show, I have never been to Dundee’s Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art & Design or (and I’m afraid to admit this because I have no excuse other than being disorganised), Glasgow School of Art. I will be rectifying that this year. Shows normally happen around May-June and as soon as dates are announced, I’ll be planning my trip.

Cample Line Gallery, Nithsdale

People love Cample Line gallery. It’s quite a young gallery, having only been established in 2016, but I get the feeling they punch above their weight in terms of shows and programming. From its rural location, around 15 miles north of Dumfries, they host a year-round programme of exhibitions, screenings, talks, walks, workshops and events, exploring the work of contemporary artists, filmmakers and writers. Their next exhibition opens on 23 March and presents the work of Scottish painter, Gabriella Boyd.

St Peter’s Seminary, Cardross

Anyone for a bit of urban exploring? Well, not really urban, because St Peter’s Seminary isn’t in an urban centre, but a couple of miles outside of Cardross on the west coast of Scotland. The concrete structure, which was constructed between 1961-66 was once hailed as an architectural masterpiece and has now completely fallen into ruin. But it still looks majestic even in this state, covered in moss, rust and graffiti. Have a look at this Guardian photo essay from 2019 and you’ll see what I mean. I don’t think visitors are really allowed, so I’ll have to pluck up some courage and combat my inner teacher’s pet for this one.

The Italian Chapel, Orkney

Here’s another entry on the ‘tried to go but was thwarted’ list. In October 2020 we had a trip scheduled to Orkney, but then 2020 happened, so we couldn’t go. This is the most ambitious and furthest away feature on my list, but one that perhaps has the most intriguing story behind it. In 1939, after the HMS Royal Oak was sank by a German submarine resulting in the loss of 834 lives, the decision was taken to transport 550 captured Italian soldiers in North Africa to Orkney, to construct naval defences in Scapa Flow. Among the prisoners was talented artist, Domenico Chiocchetti, who was placed in charge or transforming two Nissen huts into a chapel for the prisoners of war. Thus, the Italian Chapel was born. It is now one of Orkney’s most well-loved attractions, and is open year round.

Crawick Multiverse, Sanquhar

I really love Charles Jenks’ works at Jupiter Artland and the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art. What I didn’t realise until recently is that there is a huge site designed by Jenks called Crawick Multiverse, which transformed a former open cast coal mine into a huge artland/sculpture park. The site opened in 2015 and links the themes of space, astronomy and cosmology “with a network of paths navigating features and landforms that represent the sun, universes, galaxies, black holes and comets”. It sounds totally wild and I can’t wait to explore it once it reopens on Saturday 16th March.

Newhailes House, Edinburgh

A lot closer to home with Newhailes House, where I’ve once booked a tour of, only to completely underestimate how long it would take to cycle there from my house and miss my slot. The house is a Palladian style 18th-century villa, complete with rococo interiors, Italian marble fireplaces and a Chinese sitting room and impressive fine art collection. The house was acquired by the National Trust for Scotland in 1997, and the unique conservation approach has meant that the house is preserved just as it was when they acquired it (rather than returning it to its ‘original’ condition). That approach fascinates me and this year when I book a tour I am planning to be far more realistic about my transportation methods.

Hospitalfield, Arbroath

I love to see today’s artists breathing life and creativity into grand old houses of the past, and that’s exactly what seems to be happening at Hospitalfield in Arbroath, they have an extensive residency programme, and see the house as a place of learning and ideas. The building is a 19th century Arts & Crafts house, built on the site of a mediaeval hospital. I’m keen to seen the sculptures in the garden (including Paolozzi’s Rio which is on loan from the Huntarian in Glasgow until 2027) and especially to explore the inside of the house via one of their tours, which restart in April.

Looking back at this list, I feel like I’ve given myself a lot to do! Scotland is such a beautiful and rich place to see varied art, architecture, sculpture and landscapes. I’ve had a few failed attempts in the past, because sometimes life gets in the way, but I hope to see as much of this as possible and encounter more art as the light and energy creeps back after a winter of hibernation.

I’d love to hear all the places you’re planning on visiting for the first time this year, wherever you are, so leave a comment or give me a shout on Instagram!