Linlithgow Palace Sunset.

Linlithgow Palace Sunset.

This Pastel Painting is used in my other blog because there I speak of the estate with its big house. There are many such estates in Scotland, some owned by royalty but many left over from the days of the landed gentry. There was a terrible time in the history of Scotland when the people who farmed the land and lived on the land were moved out to make way for those who were in favour with the royal family. The land was used for keeping sheep. It was a time when a great many large houses were built and occupied by one family. These houses often had large estates around them with extensive gardens. There is one such place not far from where I stay. Andrew Carnegie the famous steel magnate remembers how as a boy he looked longingly through the fence at the gardens and space. Later when he had made his wealth he purchased this estate and presented it to the people of Dunfermline and to this day it is a beautiful place to walk. It was just such a place that Nettie my son and I with dog walked.


This particular palace is another such place. This one can be seen from the motorway that goes between Scotland’s two largest cities, Glasgow and Edinburgh. I was driving home one night after a long day in Edinburgh writing teaching materials and examinations for schools and colleges. The sun was just going down and I could see the palace reflected on the loch. When I arrived home I just had to get down the memory and try to evoke the wonder of that view.

This was painted very quickly using pastel on pastel board. No real effort was made to capture all the detail but to generate the sense of wonder.

This blog is linked to me other blog where today I take the story of Nettie on a bit further:-A Walk in the Park