Europe 2025: Isle of Lewis and back to Glasgow

August 9, 2025 | Leave your thoughts


I was on the Isle of Lewis for three weeks and had  a truly wonderful time with my sister and family plus some dear church friends.

I wasn’t sure how much I would sketch since spending time with people is my priority but I filled many pages and 2.5 sketchbooks.

I did so much sketching because 1. I’ve been experimenting with some new quick sketching techniques 2. My sister is addicted to wild swimming so while she swam, I sketched.

I’ve been doing weekly update videos for my Sketching Adventure Community on Patreon containing clips from my on location sketching, mini demos and progress videos including how I finish off my pages at night. So that has been the main way I’ve been documenting my adventures.

But here are a few photos from my time in Lewis and a weekend back in Glasgow…


First beach sketches – at Tong.


Martins Memorial church Stornoway.


Playing with textures at Coll beach.


Birthday dinner and sketching with my nephew.


Sketching in the back seat of the car with my niece.


My sister and nephew swimming in a loch.

Part of my sketch from this outing.


Having fun with colour and texture at Garry Beach.


Morning swim (for my sister) at Holm Beach.


Ui church on Point.


Callanish Stones


Bosta Beach


Bayble Beach


Hebridean Sheep during a morning walk with my sister.


10pm light


11pm light


15 minute sketch in town before having a coffee with a friend.


Dun Carloway Broch


My one day in Harris (only made it as far as Tarbert).


Two music  concerts – all in Gaelic!


Travel setup for my Patreon livestream!


Back at Coll beach with my sister’s swimming gang.

 
Last on-location sketch with my niece!


I didn’t finish my sketch but left it at this point to remind myself of the techniques I was using this trip.


It was hard to leave my family and friends on Lewis but I had a lovely weekend in Glasgow. My friends took me for a drive to Loch Lomond for one last Scottish Hills sketch.

On the next day I met up with a large of local sketchers and USK Glasgow at Kelvingrove.


Here is my sketch of the rear entrance of this magnificent building.

What a great time I had in Scotland!

I’m now in Germany, on my way to the Urban Sketchers International Symposium in Poznan. Poland and then onto the Swiss Urban Sketchers Symposium in Geneva. So it’s a busy month ahead and I’ll be having a break from publishing articles here until I return home. 

If you want exclusive behind-the-scenes videos from my big trip please check out my Sketching Adventure Community on Patreon.

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