World Art Day 2026 - The Scottish Colourists, Kircudbright and Iona

A picture of an Iona Croft House by Scottish Colourist, Francis Boileau Cadell. Image credit: National Galleries of Scotland collection. Photo, National Galleries of Scotland

Morven is passionate about art at Drummond Scottish Tours. Being an artist herself, Morven (or Morvenna) has a great deal of knowledge of art history, having attended Leeds College of Art and has a degree in Multimedia Digital Design.

We thought it would be apt to showcase one of Morven’s favourite Scottish artists on this World Art Day (although there are too many to mention) – the Scottish Colourist Francis Boileau Cadell.

He was renowned for his paintings of elegant New Town interiors in Edinburgh. However, he was also inspired by the beautiful island of Iona and the charming artist town of Kirkcudbright, with his fellow Colourists, Fergusson, Hunter and Peploe.

This was due to the luminous quality of the light that drew many artists of their generation there (and still to this day) and was inspiration for their bold and brilliantly coloured work.

A picture of beautiful, sacred Iona, a place favoured for the quality of its light and beach landscapes by the Scottish Colourists.

You can explore the picturesque village of Kirkcudbright on our Dumfries and Galloway tours, or journey to the serene and spiritual island of Iona on a bespoke tour with us. Just get in touch with us today and we can help plan your very own artistic adventure.