For many people worldwide, the Highland region is Scotland.
This representative image was the outcome of a merger of Highland and
Scottish identities during the Romantic period, through literary figures
such as Robert Burns and Walter Scott.
The Highland myth found its most potent visual expression in the work
of artists such as Edwin Landseer and Horatio
McCulloch.
This section features their work, along with the more tranquil paintings
of the so-called Glasgow Boys such as James Paterson
and Edward Arthur Walton.
Twentieth-century representations of Highlands subjects include those
by the Scottish Colourists such as Samuel John Peploe and
more recent works include Hamish Fulton's photographs
and text pieces detailing his walks through the Cairngorms.
Despite the international outlook and dynamism of much of twentieth and
twenty-first century Scottish art, Romantic Highlandism has prevailed
in the imagery used to promote Scotland to tourists and in international
cinema and television.
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