Historic Environment Scotland

I’ve been working with HES since 2019 on a broad range of historical illustration as well as map illustration, digital work, animation and graphic design projects. I initially got involved with the Learning and Inclusion team, creating worksheets and learning materials but now do all sorts of illustration and design for other teams as well.

The Maiden’s Leap is a legend set at Huntingtower Castle in Perth. To celebrate the Year or Stories, HES asked Fiona Davidson to re-tell the story in Scots, and me to create illustrations for it. Here’s the video, and a wee selection of the elements I drew for this historical illustration.

I’ve also done a series of illustrations of Edinburgh Castle, which have been used for various projects. My aerial drawing of the castle from the North is used as a visitor map – I created it with enough accuracy, and necessary exaggeration, to be of benefit for navigation. It’s also used as the base for the Castle’s ThingLink learning page, using icons I created for the purpose. As well as the aerial view, I’ve illustrated the Great Hall (with a feast underway), the Laich Hall and Mary Queen of Scots’ bed chamber.

I’ve also done an aerial illustration of Edinburgh Castle from the East, for a visitor leaflet for learners. This is the map – in a colour scheme inspired by medieval marginalia – shown in the leaflet, along with the cover, for which I created a mash-up of illustrated elements in the castle.

Below are two of my illustrations for a Mary Queen of Scots diary project, which required a very different style of work! Here are sketches of Edinburgh Castle in the Sixteenth Century, and Mary’s pomander.

I’ve made a few sets of photo props for school holiday projects. Here are two of the sets, and the B&W colouring-in versions for some of them.