Latest Project: Scaling Mount Stuart!

Mount Stuart, sadly not the aristocratic family seat of our very own Mr.Morris, is the focus of this week’s post. The Gothic Revival mansion situated on the Isle of Bute has recently been recognised as an outstanding Heritage destination and it is not hard to see why.

The house is so substantial that when it was built a horse-drawn railway had to be erected in order to transport materials from the local village to the build site. There are a large number of notable rooms within the house which was partially destroyed by fire in 1877. The Marble Hall has an incredible vaulted ceiling and walls covered from top to bottom in Italian marble and alabaster. The dining room is lit by two magnificent Louis Quinze chandeliers and is encased in intricately carved wainscot. The Purple Library is a literary lover’s paradise. The book lined walls sit under a carved walnut ceiling and the room is packed with cosy chairs lanterns.

Outside there are several gardens, each one wonderfully unique and enchanting. The Calvary Walk is meant to be extremely meditative being based on the route Christ is thought to have taken to his crucifixion. It follows a flowing stream which sometimes gathers in to pools and falls in staged cascades. Contrary to its name the Wee Garden is a fairly large 5 acres of exotic plant life. One of its oldest inhabitants is a Chilean Lantern Tree which is covered in fiery blooms during the summer months.

Throughout the whole estate there are two things which can be found embroidered into fabrics, carved into wood and drawn on signs; the bumblebee and the acorn.

About a month ago Stuart braved the cold and snow to pay a visit to Mount Stuart following a commission from them to design and print a number of textile products.  He was accompanied by Heather Raeburn, a botanical artist also working on a project for Mount Stuart. After a choppy ferry journey from the mainland to Bute he spent time photographing the house and getting a feel for its surroundings. He was particularly interested in the amount of stained glass used within the house being somewhat of a connoisseur after spending a year looking at the stained glass windows of Parisian churches when he finished university. He describes his time there as calming and refreshing which is probably due to the marvellous sea views from around the estate.

Bringing back the Scottish air into the print studio, Stuart shared his photos with our designer Diz who then created a set of bespoke designs for the property. The acorn and the bumblebee motifs as well as the stained glass designs which had jumped out at Stuart during his trip feature heavily.

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