Dunnottar Castle takes centre stage in search for nation’s best landscape artist

Contestant 'excited' to see herself in show that was filmed on the shore near the Stonehaven landmark.

By Bailey Moreton

January 9 2024, 11:00 am

Painter Caroline Lowe and Dunnottar Castle. Image: Darrell Benns/Caroline Lowe

Dunnottar Castle will take centre stage in the new series of Sky’s ‘Landscape Artist of the Year’.

Host Stephen Mangan travelled to the north-east last year, presiding over eight competitors vying for a spot in the semi-final to become the nation’s best landscape artist.

The upcoming show – which premieres on Wednesday – sees a new cohort of landscape artists travel to remarkable locations across the UK.

They take on the “herculean tasks” including the of painting the medieval cliff-top grounds of Dunnottar Castle, as well as the harbour.

The three finalists will be transported to the top of the Royal Opera House at night, tasked with capturing Covent Garden in London’s West End.

Filming crews near the Stonehaven Harbour. — Filming crews spotted near the Stonehaven Harbour. Image: Steve Patterson.

Landscape artist competitor visits Scotland for the first time

One of the wildcard entrants, painter Caroline Lowe from Derbyshire, visited Scotland for the first time when filming happened back in June.

She told The P&J: “It was lovely, it’s a really magical place.

“Fortunately for the castle filming, we had glorious weather.”

The painter from Mickleover usually works as an abstract landscape artist, so spending so long at a scene was a new experience, but a welcome one.

While the day of filming was long, the early start had its perks, with the Derbyshire painter spotting dolphins from the shore.

Caroline Lowe, one of the participants on Sky show Landscape Artist of the Year, with her dog in Scotland. — Caroline Lowe and her family ‘had a special trip’ to Scotland.

While she was up north, she also hiked around Loch Muick.

She said: “I’d always wanted to go to Scotland, I’d never been. It was a seven-hour journey to get there!”

Although she was one of a number of wildcard entrants, so may only get a small amount of screen time, Caroline Lowe said she is excited to see the show on Wednesday.

She said: “It will be interesting to see what they painted and their interpretations. It was a really nice experience and it was even more special coming to Scotland.”

Dunnottar Castle has captured the attention of artists for centuries, with artists such as James Cassie and Waller Hugh Paton painting the castle in the 19th century.