Joseph Mallord William Turner

At the right of the page is part of a sketch of Edinburgh from Blackford Hill to the south of the city. Turner began the sketch on folio 7 verso and 8, but running out of space to finish Arthur’s Seat at the right of the picture, he peeled back several pages of the sketchbook to continue the drawing on folio 11. He then peeled back several more pages to complete the drawing at the right of the present page. This part of the sketch therefore shows the eastern slopes of Arthur’s Seat with the town of Duddingston at its foot.

There are three further sketches at the left of this page, but it is not certain what they depict. At the top left are two sketches of rocks or hills with a square building. This may be the same structure that is depicted in the sketch beneath which is inscribed with the name of a castle. Finberg has suggested ‘Mackiln Castle’,1 but there are no castles of that name, and no alternative identification has been suggested.