Scottish art collection pops up in Whiting Bay

Art collector Graham Hill, who lives in Whiting Bay, is selling off pieces of his art collection at the shop, which will be open for the next three months.

Graham, a former town planner who has lived on Arran for four-and-a-half years, remains an avid art collector, but with limited space at home he now hopes to move on some of his artwork so it can be appreciated by new owners.

He said: “We came to Arran, my partner and I, and we got married here. When our two houses became one, we found ourselves with surplus art which was taking up a lot of room.”

The varied collection, which features oil and watercolour paintings, prints and sketch-work, is made up of pieces by mostly young and up-and-coming Scottish artists. As well as art work, there is a range of mirrors and lamps on sale at the shop.

Asked if it is difficult to part with the pieces, Graham said that over time his taste has changed and, luckily, he still has a huge collection to enjoy at home.

Even though the shop has only been open for a few days, Graham says he is pleased with the number of interested visitors and is enjoying meeting people.

“Everyone has an interesting story to tell,” he said.

Graham explained that more artwork from his collection will be added: “There is quite a lot more coming. When I sell a few things, I bring more down.”

The charming seafront property, which includes a well-lit conservatory overlooking the Whiting Bay coast, is currently for sale. Graham has secured a temporary three-month lease to showcase his collection in the former restaurant premises.