Botanical grand tour - BORRADILL, ardnamurchan
Last week, I travelled to the westernmost point of the British Isles — Ardnamurchan — as part of my botanical grand tour, and I couldn’t have asked for a more inspiring place to work. My home for the week was the enchanting, retrofitted Scottish-Scandi house at Borradill — an imaginative renovation of two 1990s prefab Swedish cabins, nestled deep within an ancient Celtic rainforest. The cabins have been lovingly revived by Claire and her husband Will, whose bold vision has created a true haven.
I packed up my temporary studio in preparation for a busy week of making. In addition to my grand tour botanical intaglios, I was creating a new body of work inspired by the ancient woodland and coastline surrounding Borradill, as part of an exciting creative collaboration. The drive from Edinburgh was a reminder of how lucky I am to live in Scotland, with access to such extraordinary natural landscapes just a few hours from home. The winding roads, sweeping moorland, and vast mountain ranges through Glencoe and beyond never fail to fill me with awe at the Scottish scenery. After a quick crossing of the loch on the Corran Ferry, we continued along the winding west coast peninsula.
The journey to Ardnamurchan itself felt like an adventure — a narrow, single-track road skirting the loch, bordered by abundant foxgloves, towering gunneras, thick swathes of bracken, flashes of yellow wild iris, and bursts of pink rhododendron. It was a feast for the eyes — and the drive was only the beginning. Although I had pored over the beautiful imagery on the Borradill website and Instagram beforehand, I was still completely bowled over when I arrived at my stunning Scandi-Scot cabin.
Drawing on her extensive experience in urban and public realm design, Claire has created a harmonious, inspiring interior. She skilfully weaves together influences from Hebridean and West Highland vernacular with Swedish timber homes of the 1990s. The result is a masterful balance of craft, colour, and historical reference. Tartan-inspired fabrics sit alongside bright Finnish checks, paired with vintage iconic Ikea pieces to create a space that feels both vibrant and deeply comforting.
Throughout the house, a variety of cosy nooks offer ever-changing views of the surrounding landscape. Much of the interior is clad with Russwood panelling — thermally modified pine — hand-stained by Claire with linseed oil, balsam turpentine, and Broun & Co paints. Walls painted in complementary Graphenstone shades provide a warm backdrop for carefully sourced auction finds, artworks, and curios. As a devoted beachcomber, I was delighted by the artful placement of shells, limpet-encrusted rocks, oversized scallop shells, dried seaweed, and sea glass scattered throughout the interiors.
The bed frames particularly caught my eye; I later learned they were inspired by a tall shelf design Claire admired at the Highland Folk Museum. This same motif is echoed in the Swedish-inspired over-window shelving that runs throughout the house, framing views and displaying carefully curated objects. It is, quite simply, a masterclass in thoughtful design.
On my first morning, I set off for a walk in the ancient woodland surrounding Borradill to collect specimens for casting. The rain was lashing down, but there’s something especially magical about walking beneath a canopy of oak and ash, heavy with lichen, with the sound of waterfalls in the distance. I waded through towering bracken, returned soaked to the skin, but with my arms full of treasures: lichen, oak, wild orchids, marsh buttercups, wild strawberries, foxgloves, iris, and ferns.
I set up my casting table in front of the house, overlooking Loch Sunart, and got to work creating my Borradill intaglios and editions. One of the joys of my grand tour is working outdoors, though last week proved a real test — sunshine, rain, hail, and wind would sweep through within the space of an hour. But the unpredictability of the weather only adds to the sense of immersion in nature, accompanied by the sweet sounds of birds and insects. I embraced the shifting conditions, seizing every break in the weather to continue my work.
We soon settled into a lovely rhythm: breakfasts overlooking the loch, woodland walks along pathways winding through the 25-acre property, and moments of dappled sunlight filtering through the trees. After lunch, we would venture out to explore the breathtaking Ardnamurchan coastline, navigating the dramatic single-track roads. Our favourite spots included Ardtoe, Sanna beach, and the spectacular view across the Bay of the Pledges.
Mornings were blissful, spent on the shore of Loch Sunart, soaking in the silence and stillness, coffee in hand, warming up after a bracing morning dip. I even relocated my casting table to the loch’s edge to reveal some of the seaweed casts — a beautiful full-circle moment. Evenings were spent either gazing across the loch, watching the ever-changing weather patterns roll in, or cosied up by the log burner, above which sits a series of salt-glazed tiles by Tanglebank Tiles, depicting the story of Borradill: the tall Viking prince said to have been killed by the leader of the Celts and buried in the woodland here.
During my stay, I created a bespoke set of Victorian-inspired arches and ovals, which will soon be available for purchase as part of Borradill Editions — a carefully curated selection of artwork and objects made in response to this extraordinary place. I also created a large arch which will remain at the cottage as a memento of my time here, as well as a growing collection of intaglios documenting the flora and fauna of the UK in botanical cast form.A huge thank you to Claire and Will for hosting me for this creative stay and I can’t wait to launch the Editions and spread the Borradill magic far and wide.
This was my second collaborative stay of 2025 and the 11th place I’ve had the privilege of experiencing as part of my Grand Tour of the UK. The idea for this project was inspired by my love of Grand Tour intaglio collections and the practice of young aristocratic men collecting small plaster intaglios on their travels through Europe in the 18th century. These pieces were often mounted in books or cases and displayed as souvenirs of their adventures, showcasing the artworks and decorative objects they encountered along the way.
I’ve decided to embark on my own version of the Grand Tour, focusing on the UK. But rather than following in the footsteps of these aristocratic men, I’m taking a more personal approach, with a focus on female ownership of this tradition. My goal is to capture the flora and fauna of Britain through the art of flower casting, creating a visual record of the seasonal life of the landscapes I visit.
Join the Grand Tour
You can follow my other cabin adventures here on the blog, and if you own a cabin (or know someone who does) and would like to be part of my Grand Tour, I’d love to hear from you. I’ll even make a free artwork for your cabin as part of the exchange!
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