Corrag the Witch Art Competition

The museum doesn’t have images of Corrag to help tell her story and early on in their redevelopment project, the team concocted a plan to ask local children use their imaginations to create a Corrag graphic to present to visitors.

The museum team enlisted the help of three special judges to view the 48 entries they received. They were delighted to have the judging talents of published author Susan Fletcher, who wrote the children’s novel Witch Light, which follows the persecution of Corrag after the events of the Glencoe Massacre.

The museum’s designers Mather and Co, and Morag Watt, a long-serving trustee of the museum who is a retired art teacher, browsed the artworks, too, commenting on their use of colour, artistic skill, connection to the theme, and creativity. 

Susan Fletcher said: “Corrag is such a fascinating figure in the folklore and history of Glencoe. She’s a woman of contrasts: on one hand, she was rumoured to be able to turn a person to stone by simply pointing at them; on the other, she helped the MacDonalds so much, at the time of the massacre, that she was to be buried with honour, on the burial isle of Eilean Munde. These entries represent the many aspects of her, and it’s been both a privilege and delight to be one of the judges for this competition.”

Matt Melling from Mather&Co said: “The team have been really impressed by the entries for the Corrag competition. We discussed all the artwork at length and it was really tough to narrow it down to our top three. We can’t wait see the winner’s artwork come to life as part of the museum!”

After much deliberation, a consensus was reached, but with so many fantastic entries, the museum decided to give some special mentions for creative efforts, with three runners-up who all produced unique artworks, and then the overall winner.

Runners-up and special mention entries received various art supplies, but everyone who entered the competition received a certificate and a sweet treat.

Parris was delighted to visit the classes again and share that Rosie Baines’ entry was the overall winner, with Rosie receiving a £30 gift voucher to spend at The Highland Bookshop.