Saint Andrew, the patron saint of the most beautiful country in the world
And also Russia, Barbados and Amalfi!
What better way to celebrate the beauty of Scotland than on our National Day?
Back in September the wise and worldly readers of the Rough Guide series of travel guides voted Scotland the most beautiful country in the world
This fired up my naturally inquisitive Scottish mind to fathom out “why Scotland”. What criteria and factors influenced the individual Rough Guide readers to vote Scotland as #1? We after all didn’t magic up a new range of Cuillins; carve out a new Fingal’s Cave or discover a new adorable shaggy beastie. So what then are the defining reasons?
Individual reasons influencing the voters’ decision will undoubtedly include the diversity found across the highlands and the lowlands; the historical and the contemporary; the cities and the islands; artists and inventors; wildlife; whiskies; golf courses; castles and, of course, our unmistakable and unique brand of humour.
But the more I thought about this, the more I came back to the one main overarching reason: it is the aggregation of All Things Scotland that makes Scotland the most beautiful country in the world. It is the unrivalled combination of all of these attributes that distinguishes her over all the other worthy contenders.
Scotland wouldn’t be Scotland if we had but one tartan, mountain range, ‘hebride’, clan, Speyside malt or Forth bridge.
As a born and bred Scottish artist, I draw my inspiration from the All Things Scotland that surrounds me and makes up my everyday. In celebration of this richness of diversity I have re-envisioned my art into sets of 4 Gillian Kyle Collections spanning wall art and canvas prints, gifts for home and kitchen and, of course, all things Tunnock’s.
So, on this November 30th, for the same reason Rough Guide readers voted Scotland the most beautiful country in the world, let’s celebrate the unique beauty of All Things Scotland.
Happy Saint Andrew’s Day
Gillian x
