The Immeasurable Wilds: Travellers to the Far North of Scotland

A Sketching Tour, 1849

I recently obtained a book containing 75 sketches, comrpising a tour of part of Scotland in 1849. The artist goes no further north than Fort William, but he or she follows a route that many tourists would have taken in the mid-1800s, and I thought it worth adding to the website. The artwork is very good, but the artist remains anonymous. One suggestion is John Ewbank, but he died in 1847. Another contender suggested is William Callow, who did undertake a sketching tour in the west of Scotland in 1849.

The route taken was north from Glasgow to Dumbarton and Loch Lomond, then on to Loch Katrine. The party then headed wets taking in Loch Long and Loch Fyne, and Inveraray, and on to Oban. They then turned north to Ballachulish, taking in Glencoe and on to Fort William. Heading south-east, they reached Dalmally, and followed Loch Lochy, then Loch Erne and on up to Taymouth. They then continued north to Tummel Bridge and Killiecrankie, before returning south to Dunkeld, and on to the vicinity of Dunning where the sketches end. The trip started on the 9th August, and by the 17th they were at Dunkeld, which suggests there was no dawdling along the way!

I have set the images up as a slide show. As always, some may appear cropped, in which case click on the image and you should see the whole area displayed. You can then proceed manually if you prefer.