Entrance to the Cuiraing, Skye by Waller Hugh Paton - 1873 - 111.8 x 162.6 cm National Galleries of Scotland Entrance to the Cuiraing, Skye by Waller Hugh Paton - 1873 - 111.8 x 162.6 cm National Galleries of Scotland

Entrance to the Cuiraing, Skye

oil on canvas • 111.8 x 162.6 cm
  • Waller Hugh Paton - 27 July 1828 - 8 March 1895 Waller Hugh Paton 1873

This painting is a spectacular example of Paton’s mature landscape work. It shows the Cuiraing (or Quiraing in modern usage), a remarkable landslip on the Trotternish peninsula of Skye. Paton had visited the area during a tour of Skye in 1866 and made a number of sketches and watercolors. Here, the jagged spike of the thirty-seven meter high pinnacle known as The Needle dominates the middle of the composition. The kilted man scrambling up the stony hillside is incidental compared to the vast expanses of rock, water, and cloud that surround him. Paton described the Quiraing as “an awful place”, despite the fact that it had become a top destination for artists and tourists alike.

- Mr. Bacchus

You can read more about Paton's work in the context of the journey made by one of our writers, Mr. Bacchus. He travelled from Ireland to the Nord Cape in Norway and then to Scotland and compared them to the beautiful landscape paintings. Read about it here: How To Do a 21st Century Grand Tour according to Mr. Bacchus.