Tag: scottish lighthouses

An Artistic Journey with the Northern Lighthouse Board (NLB)

Getting ready to step inside 84 George Street to discuss a potential commission with the NLB Commissioners.
A Commission from the Commissioners

Back in early 2024, I slipped a simple flyer through the doors of the Northern Lighthouse Board’s Edinburgh headquarters, affectionately known as 84 George Street by those who work there. It was an invitation to a talk for my upcoming solo exhibition, Northern Lights — a collection celebrating the beauty, history, and resilience of Scotland’s lighthouses.

I had no idea that this small act would lead to one of the most meaningful commissions of my career.

A few weeks later, CEO Mike Bullock and Heritage Trust chair Alastair Beveridge attended my gallery talk. During the event, I shared the story of an earlier architectural commission for Strathberry Ltd. When I unrolled a full-size print of that painting, it caught their eye. Alastair even bought the print on the spot!

Not long after, they invited me to discuss creating a bespoke painting of their George Street headquarters — a building steeped in history and purpose.

The Strathberry HQ painting that caught the attention of the NLB team during my talk.
Stepping Inside 84 George Street

Walking into the NLB’s HQ is like stepping into a hidden world. From the elegant Georgian exterior, you’d never guess just how vast and intricate the interior is. Room after room tells a story, many filled with antique furniture and commissioned artworks that span more than 250 years of maritime history.

It’s not just a building — it’s the operational nerve centre for every lighthouse in Scotland and the Isle of Man, a place where history and innovation coexist.

A hidden world inside — where heritage and innovation meet to keep Scotland’s lighthouses shining.
Bringing the Vision to Life

For a building and commission like this, getting the perspective right was crucial. Using my drone, I captured images from multiple angles, ensuring I could represent everything — from the roofline to the subtle details of the lower levels — without distortion.

Finished pen-and-ink outline ready for approval before painting began.

Some of my favourite touches include the subtle flash of the Bell Rock lighthouse decoration, glowing in the night sky, and the gold leaf accents used to portray the brass door furnishings. The deep blue evening sky contrasts beautifully with the warm sienna tones of the stonework. And then there were the flags — trickier to paint than they look — which needed to be clear and recognisable while still looking as though they were naturally blowing in the wind.

The Bell Rock lighthouse detail above the doorway — in my painting, it flashes every five seconds, just like the real thing.
The Finished Painting
The completed painting, with warm sienna tones and deep evening blues capturing the atmosphere of the building at night.

It took about four weeks to complete the painting, with a few much-needed sanity breaks along the way! Getting the geometry of the paving slabs right was also a challenge, but a rainy day in Edinburgh gave me great reference photos — the wet stones reflected the light perfectly, adding depth and richness to the foreground of the piece.

The final painting captures what I hoped for: a sense of atmosphere and purpose, where architectural beauty meets the vital work of the NLB in guiding mariners safely home.

Handover day — Alastair Beveridge (left), me, and Mike Bullock (right) outside the NLB headquarters.
A Personal Milestone Achieved on Handover

This commission wasn’t just another art project; it was the fulfilment of a lifelong ambition to work with the Northern Lighthouse Board.

As someone who grew up in Arbroath, watching the Bell Rock lighthouse flash every night from my bedroom window, and who has long been fascinated by Scotland’s lighthouses — thanks in part to Bella Bathurst’s The Lighthouse Stevensons — this collaboration felt like everything coming full circle.

Handing the painting over to Mike and Alastair was a proud and humbling moment. I’m delighted with how the painting turned out, and even happier that the team at the NLB felt the same when I delivered it personally to 84 George Street.

A Proud Moment

I recently returned to NLB HQ and was genuinely moved to see my painting hanging just inside the main entrance. It’s a little surreal to know that my work has now become part of the building’s story.

My painting hanging proudly just inside the entrance at 84 George Street.

The moment was topped off when I opened the Summer 2025 edition of the NLB Journal and spotted a feature about the painting and its handover. Several staff members have since ordered prints — some to be given as retirement gifts for NLB staff — a gesture that feels like the highest compliment an artist can receive.

The Summer 2025 edition of the NLB Journal featuring my painting and its handover.
Prints Now Available

If you’re as obsessed with lighthouses as I am and would like to have a beautiful Giclee print of the Northern Lighthouse Board’s Edinburgh HQ, just send me an email at: cliveramage@gmail.com and we can arrange for one to be sent out to you.

Next Up

I’ll be sharing another post soon, showing the step-by-step process of how this painting came to life — from initial sketches to the final framed piece — so keep an eye out for that update.

Orkney Saga: How a Journey to Orkney Changed the Way I See & Paint the Scottish Landscape

In my Aberdeen-based studio with recently finished paintings of Stroma and Scurdie Ness lighthouses
The Moment of Change

As an artist, there are moments in your career when you feel a profound shift in your work—when something clicks, and you realise that the art you’re creating is no longer the same. This is exactly what happened with my latest lighthouse paintings, which were recently delivered to Ballater Gallery. Looking at them now, I believe these works are my best yet, but what stands out most to me isn’t just the finished product. It’s the journey I took to get here.

Seeking New Inspiration

In June of 2024, I felt it was time for a new source of inspiration. After years of painting skies and seas dominated by rich Prussian blues, I started to feel a yearning for something different. I wanted to step out of my comfort zone and explore new landscapes that could challenge and refine my artistic vision. After much thought, I knew exactly where to go: Orkney.

Saying hello to the Old Man of Hoy after a blustery walk along the cliffs
Why Orkney?

Orkney is a place that has long been celebrated for its natural beauty and unique light, and I have always heard that many artists and poets have found it to be a deeply inspiring place. What intrigued me most was the idea of its “special light” and how it changes with the weather, time of day and season. Orkney’s rugged, windswept landscapes, with their quiet solitude and vast skies, have captivated many before me—and now, they were calling to me as well.

The Brough of Birsay Lighthouse, Orkney, during a brief sunny spell. Possibly for the easel!
The Impact of Orkney’s Light

Upon arriving, it didn’t take long for me to see how different this place was from anywhere else I’d been. The soft, ethereal quality of Orkney’s light shifted my perspective, albeit without my realising it at the time. I’d come to associate the intense, vibrant hues of Prussian blue with the sea and sky. But here, I found something new and more muted, more natural: an expansive range of greys that seemed to embrace the land, sky and sea in a way that felt more intimate. The colours weren’t just what I saw—they were how I felt, a reflection of the atmosphere itself.

Stroma lighthouse from a very boisterous ferry ride from St Margaret’s Hope back to the mainland … and below, my much calmer interpretation of that same scene
Stroma Lighthouse, Orkney – oil on canvas – 40x120cm
A Subtle Shift in Palette

This shift in palette is something I hadn’t consciously planned, but it emerged as I spent more time on the island, sketching and photographing lighthouses and the coastal landscape, as violent winds constantly roared around me and the rain poured down almost all of the time. The greys in the sky, the soft blues in the water, the shifting clouds—all seemed to whisper to me to pare things back, to allow nature to be the star. In contrast to the bold blues of my previous work, these new paintings feel quieter, more contemplative and more grounded. That’s not to say I won’t ever use Prussian blue again, but right now I am enjoying the serenity of working with this new palette.

Scurdie Ness Lighthouse, Montrose – oil on canvas – 71x71cm – SOLD 🔴
Unaware of the Change

What is most exciting to me is that I wasn’t even aware that this change was happening until it was already underway. It’s as if the spirit of Orkney, with its elusive light and rugged beauty, had gently guided me toward a new phase in my artistic journey—one that has already had a profound impact on how I view and represent the world around me (as can be seen in the above painting Scurdie Ness, Montrose, also at Ballater Gallery).

A New Chapter in My Work

These two new lighthouse paintings—my most recent works—mark the beginning of this new chapter. And although I am proud of these paintings and excited by the new direction of my work, I know there’s still so much more to explore and achieve. Orkney has not only inspired these paintings but has also sparked a deeper understanding of my own personal and artistic relationship with light, landscape and the subtle yet powerful shifts that occur in the natural world … and I can’t wait to see where I go from here!

Where to next?
Looking Ahead

As always, I’m excited to continue sharing my journey with you.

Thank you for joining me on this wee adventure—both through my art and the landscapes that continue to inspire it!

In the meantime, keep your eyes peeled for more exciting news about a very special commission I’ve been working on recently. I can’t wait to share more about all of that with you very soon!