J.M.W. Turner: Sketchbooks, Drawings and Watercolours

This page contains sketches drawn at East and West Tarbert on the Kintyre peninsula, as well as a sketch of a building that may be Dunderave Castle.1 The East Tarbert sketch is at the top of the page and was drawn after Turner had disembarked from the Maid of Islay No.2 steam packet, which had brought him from Glasgow. This view is from near the harbour mouth at the east of East Loch Tarbert and looks towards Tarbert Castle, built on a hill to the south of the loch, and the town to its right. In front of the castle ruins are a number of boats moored near the quay where Turner recently landed. (For further sketches of East Tarbert, see folio 88 verso; D26610).

David Wallace-Hadrill and Janet Carolan have suggested that the sketch at the centre of the page may be of a view east along West Loch Tarbert.2 The hill at the centre of the view is therefore likely to be Garadh Liath as seen from near West Tarbert. There are further sketches of the loch, made by Turner on his way to Islay, on folio 83 verso (D26600).

David Wallace-Hadrill and Janet Carolan have suggested that the building at the bottom right of the page, drawn with the sketchbook turned to the left, may be Dunderave Castle near Inveraray on Loch Fyne,3 sketches of which are in the Loch Long sketchbook (Tate D26632; Turner Bequest CCLXXI 7a). To the left of this is a sketch of tree top, perhaps made nearby.