The mosaics are from the Celtic alphabet mosaic trail. We didn't see them all, but managed a good few. There is more information on the trail on the Groam House Museum website. Some of the mosaics pop up in the most incongruous places (such as outside public toilets), the idea is that they should all be easily seen and always accessible.
All but one of the stained glass windows included here were in Dornoch Cathedral (not on the Black Isle itself but not far away). The two windows in the porch as you enter were my absolute favourite windows. You'll find out why...
The photos are in the order they were taken, thus in chronological order of discovery...
Now we are about to visit the cathedral in Dornoch to enjoy the beautiful stained glass...
The three images above are details from the fairly traditional style windows in the main part of the cathedral.
I knew that somewhere there was a window with a hedgehog on it. I'd seen photos of it on-line (here, in fact. Sadly Kate's "real" shop wasn't open during my visit though). I asked one of the lady volunteers in the cathedral where it might be. "A hedgehog! We've never had that request before. No I don't remember seeing a window with a hedgehog." Oh dear, maybe I had the wrong place. N loves hedgehogs and I'd promised him he'd see one here. We continued hunting and come across some more modern window designs with beautiful etched details. But no hedgehog.
Then, just as we were leaving the cathedral, I noticed the two small windows in the porch that we'd rushed past earlier in our haste to get inside. Here we did indeed find the hedgehog. And much more besides. These were my favourite windows. I loved the jewel-like colours, the subject matter (British wildlife), the artwork and the design. They're by Crear McCartney. There is information about Crear McCartney at the bottom of this page, I'll definitely make a point of seeking out more of his work. My favourite section is that of the owl...
Now back to the mosaic trail...
We didn't try to find all the mosaics, these are just the ones that we happened across while exploring the area. I think it's nice to leave things still undiscovered when you visit somewhere - it gives an incentive to perhaps return one day...
11 comments:
I agree I love the Crear McCartney stained glass the best, so beautiful. The whole post is so full of colour though. Xxx
Those are amazing - what a fantastic collection, I'd love to see those!
oh they are just gorgeous. another place to add to my "must visit" list!
These mosaics and stained glass windows are simply delightful. My mum and I were talking about visiting the Black Isle and now I have got yet another reason to go. There is so much beauty in Scotland still to be explored! Cx
Oh, wow. They're all beautiful. I adore stained glass and you must have some very old examples in your country. I enjoy mosaic art too. This summer, my kids and I have been watching a permanent outdoor mosaic being created at a library we visit. They work slowly, just a little area at a time, but we've enjoyed watching it take shape.
Hiya, I'm feeling awful......as soon as I saw your post I remembered you commenting on one of my posts that you were going to be up here on holiday this summer. I'm so, so sorry......I'm afraid I completely forgot, I do remember thinking that I must track down your email address to reply to you properly.....and then, clearly, I didn't! Anyhow, I do hope that you had a wonderful time. We were away back in East Lothian most of last week so we probably wouldn't have been able to meet up but I'd have loved to have a wee chat about where to visit etc. Maybe another time?! Juliex
Oh my gosh, what a surfeit of beauty. Thank you for including so many photos in this post!
The stained glass is breathtaking, and those porch windows gladden my heart. I especially like all the different flowers he included, and the purply-blue bit with the moon and star.
Those mosaics are amazing - the colours, the detail. I wonder where all the fragments came from? (Not sure if there's a proper name for all the broken bits that make up the picture.)
P.S. Your dream gave me a good chuckle - if I'm ever lucky enough to visit Scotland I will look you up, and will most definitely NOT spend my time cycling up and down a busy highway! I'd much rather see your tree-on-the-corner and the Roman soldiers. :)
This post was a real treat for me. I LOVE mosaics and stained glass. Oh I wish newly built houses here in the Netherlands would incorporate stained glass windows like in the olden days. Lovely blog by the way - glad I found you!
I agree about leaving things undiscovered so that you can come back someday. I think it is important to go slowly, breathe, relax, and enjoy.
Both the mosaics and the stained glass windows are stunning!!!!!! Your pictures are beautiful, but I imagine that they are even more beautiful in person, especially the windows with the light streaming through. The hedgehog is just lovely, and well worth hunting for! xx
Simply awesome and thanks for sharing this valuable art
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