July is World Watercolour month and Argyll is the perfect place to inspire your watercolour creativity. Painting breaks in Scotland are a wonderful way to relax and reconnect with nature. The world challenge began as a charitable event encouraging people around the world to create 31 Watercolours is 31 Days! The goal was to help raise awareness for arts education to get art supplies for kids who need them via The Dreaming Zebra Foundation.
Artists all over the globe are encouraged to share their artwork using the hashtag #WorldWatercolorMonth, whether it be by taking up the full challenge, or simply by dipping into it and helping spread awareness.
We’ve pulled together 5 of the top locations around our beautiful county, perfect for a day of watercolour painting in Scotland.
Otter Ferry
Found on the Eastern shore of Loch Fynn, this beautiful spot is the perfect spot to set up art supplies, nestled behind Otter Spit and sheltered from the winds. For those looking for historical structures to paint in Argyll, this location provides the ruins of the quays from where the boats would set out. You can also visit the old house of the ferryman. For those of you looking to focus on more natural scenes, the shoreline throws up unbelievable sunsets, cast against dark waters and strong rock formations.
Iona
This small island with its dreamy ruins and tranquil environment drew leading painters such as Francis Cadell and Samuel Peploe to come and explore and paint the landscapes. The Abbey and the Chapel offer inspiration on colder days, whilst the rusty coloured mountains of Mull reveal themselves from across multi coloured water on finer days.
Arduaine Gardens
The Gulf Stream gently warms the waters her, allowing an offering of exotic plants and flowers. The one-hundred-year-old gardens were originally part of the Arduaine Estate that the Loch Melfort Hotel is built on – an ideal spot for watercolour painting holidays in Scotland! With a particular focus on species from East Asia and South America, the gardens are bursting with colour and feature Japanese larch, bamboos and water lilies (to name a few).
Sadell Bay
Sadell Bay is the perfect spot for artists looking for a remote spot for painitng in Argyll. With a beach forest backdrop, this stunning pebbled bay stretches the Eastern coast of Kintyre and is home to one of five sculptures by world renowned artist Anthony Gormley – a brooding life -sized figure looking out to sea.
The Isle of Coll
At only 3 miles wide and 13 miles long, this little island only 40 miles or so from Oban is big enough to find your own place to paint and relax, but small enough that it’s easy to relocate. With breath-taking sandy beaches and an abundance of wildlife, there’s something to pique every artist’s interests.
Interested in taking the 31-day watercolour challenge across one of these locations? Here at The Loch Melfort Hotel, we’re lucky enough to be surrounded by talented artists and designers. We aim to support them by displaying a selection of their art throughout our hotel, making it the perfect base for a painting holiday with friends. Plan a picnic or sketch walk amongst our 17-acre grounds and paint outside together.