Courses

Sketching Scotland’s Spirit of Place

With James Richards

At Scotland, UK

16 July - 26 July, 2026

“I never saw myself as Monet in the studio. I wanted to be Anthony Bourdain with a sketchbook.” - from Travel Artist, by James Richards Travel sketching isn’t about art. It’s about using a sketchbook as a tool for discovery. The world is your studio, your sketchbook is your passport. And Scotland offers opportunities for discovery like no other. Here, your sketchbooks can capture individual scenes and stories that make Scotland a legendary place in the imagination of the world. Collectively, your travel sketches can reveal the powerful and almost mystical quality known by writers, poets, artists and architects as spirit of place. Here in Scotland, this quality is steeped in history and legend, and shaped by the most memorable castles, historic towns, fishing villages, landscapes and lochs in the world. You’ll be using pencil, ink, watercolor and mixed media tools to capture your own impressions of this storied place, working in the essentially British tradition of the artist traveler. We’ll do this through fun morning studio sessions that illustrate my own keys to travel sketching, then take those lessons on the road to captivating destinations, where you’ll receive individual attention to help take your sketching to the next level. My goal is to equip you with eye-opening lessons, techniques, shortcuts and inspiration from my own decades of experience that can help you develop your own style, provide sketching breakthroughs and shave years off your learning curve. With new knowledge and confidence, your sketches will take on a loose freshness, and individuality that comes from your own hand. We don’t want a collection of masterpieces. We want you. After 10 days, you'll depart with a newfound sense of freedom and confidence that's the foundation for a lifetime of enjoyment, art-filled travel and continued growth. This is the travel experience of a lifetime. I can’t wait—grab your sketchbook and let’s go!

Course Highlights

1. Learn new, sketching skills from James
2. Discover the culture and traditions, taste famous Scotch from the smallest and best distilleries
3. Day trips to Edinburgh, Stirling, South Queensferry, St Andrews, Culross
4. Enjoy The best British food cooked by your private chef
5. Luxury accomodation in converted hunting lodge- Part of the Blair Atholl Castle estate .

Day by Day Workshop Schedule

1. Day 1: Arrival, transfer from the airport to the House. Time to unpack and relax. Traditional Scottish welcome dinner and drinks. Introduction to the workshop and schedule with James and the team. Dinner served at 7pm.
2. Day 2: Breakfast at 9am. Warm up/ Morning session with James around the estate, back to the house Lunch at 1.00pm followed by a cyanotype workshop with Dominika Allan 3-5pm. We learn about the history of cyanotype, how to proper paper/fabric and what type of flowers/herbs/plants to use. Afternoon full of blue art! Dinner at home.
3. Day 3: Breakfast at 8.30am. Day trip to St Andrews- a stunning town on the east coast of Scotland. Traditional fish and chips and a glass of white wine at 2pm. Time for a sketching session with James, later free time till 6:30pm (pick up). You can take a walk or sketching session on the beach. Dinner at 8pm.
4. Day 4: Breakfast home . Trip to Culross- a historical village in the Kingdom of Fife. Now from Outlander tv serial. Picnic lunch. Back to the house for 4.30pm for a British wine and local beer tasting. Will match our drinks with local cheese. Dinner at 8pm
5. Day 5: 7.30 Breakfast, day trip to Edinburgh (8.30am departure). Explore Edinburgh Castle, National Museum, Royal Mill- sketching time ,shopping time, lunch on own, home for dinner. 2 hour guided tour with a break for a tradition ‘ale’ beer. Back home for dinner with Chef Luciana
6. Day 6: 7.30 Breakfast, day trip to Stirling . Explore the Medieval Castle, the National Wallace Monument.Session with James ,lunch on own , free time . Whisky distillery tour and tasting.with sketching distillery . Back to Estate. Dinner at 7.30pm
7. Day 7: Breakfast 8.30am. Day in the Manor Estate. Morning class with James, light Lunch. Time to finish on your works, Afternoon cooking lesson (3-5pm) dinner cooked by the chef Karolina. Dinner served at 6.30/7pm
8. Day 8: Early Breakfast 7.am or packed breakfast. Glen Coe trip. We will leave the house at 7.30am. The most magnificent views of glens, lochs and Highlands! Painting session followed by lunch of pie and pint at 1pm, home for late dinner. Lots of stops on the way to Glen Coe and on the way back. Late dinner at 8pm
9. Day 9: After breakfast we will visit South Queensferry to sketch one of the most iconic bridges in Europe. Picnic lunch, free time. Group visit in local whisky distillery with tasting. Meeting at 6.30pm, back home for dinner.
10. Day 10: Last day of the workshop. We will start the day with breakfast, last session with James , time to finish on Your works. Will have a traditional afternoon tea at 1.30pm - Queens’s Party! with Pimm's and lemonade. Afternoon, time to take a walk, rest, pack . We will create a gallery of the artworks followed by Gala dinner served at 7.30pm
11. Day 11: * Departure day . Breakfast at 8am and airport transfer at 10am :( Untill we See You again!

Course Cost: £5299