Sir Edwin Henry Landseer

Sir Edwin Henry Landseer was an English painter, born in London, the son of the engraver John Landseer. Trained by his father to sketch animals from life, he began exhibiting at the Royal Academy when only 13. He was elected Associate of the Royal Academy in 1826 at only 24 years of age, and full Academician in 1831 when not yet 30. 

He became famous for his pictures of horses, dogs and stags, many of them later engraved by his brother Thomas Landseer. In 1824, Landseer went to Scotland for the first time to visit Sir Walter Scott. He fell in love with the Highlands, which inspired many of his later paintings such as The Monarch of the Glen. This famous painting is on show in the Scotland and the World gallery at the Museum of Scotland, in Edinburgh. Landseer returned to Scotland every year for inspiration, drawing and hunting. His romantic vision of Border history is reflected in his work, inspired by Sir Walter Scott, The Hunting of Chevy Chase.

Landseer enjoyed royal patronage, especially in the 1840s when Queen Victoria and Prince Albert also discovered Scotland. He paid his first visit to their home, Balmoral, in 1850 to paint a large group portrait of the Royal Family. He was knighted that year even though the painting was never finished. 

In the 1860s he modelled the lions at the base of Nelson’s Column in Trafalgar Square and these were unveiled in 1867. Landseer died in London on October 1873 and was buried in St Paul’s Cathedral. 

The Highlands have without doubt the most spectacular terrain for wild off-trail walking. In addition, long distance trails include The West Highland Way (95 miles); which links Milngavie to Fort William - from the outskirts of Scotland's largest city, Glasgow, to the foot of its highest mountain. Nearer to the English border, the Southern Upland Way (212 miles) is Scotland’s longest walk. It stretches west to east from Portpatrick’s romantic seascapes, over the Mull of Galloway to the dramatic North Seas cliffs at Cocksburnpath.

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