17/08/2026
Fichead Bliadhna / 20 Years/ Derek Robertson
The exhibition that was supposed to last just two weeks…
Twenty years ago, I arrived at Gallery An Talla Dearg in Eilean Iarmain on the Isle of Skye expecting to hold an exhibition for just a fortnight.
I had no idea that two weeks would turn into twenty years.
This summer, from 21 August until 7 October, I will hold my 20th annual exhibition at the gallery—and, I have to admit, it feels like a rather significant moment for me.
Over those two decades, hundreds of original paintings and thousands of limited-edition prints have found their way from this tiny corner of Skye to collectors in more than 100 countries. I have been fortunate enough to exhibit around the world, but there is something about this remarkable little gallery that calls me back every single year.
Perhaps it is the setting: the view across the Sound of Sleat towards Knoydart, the eagles and peregrines overhead, or the possibility of seeing an otter, dolphin or even a whale while simply looking out from the gallery.
Or perhaps it is something more difficult to explain.
Twenty years later, I still feel the same excitement every time I come down the hill towards the pier at Eilean Iarmain. It has become a second home.
And while I know that many of you reading this won't be able to make the journey to Skye this year, I wanted to share this milestone with you. In a curious way, although I and my paintings travel the world, this little gallery has always had a remarkable ability to bring the world to my door. Over the years, visitors and collectors have arrived from across the world, many returning year after year, and some becoming good friends along the way.
During the exhibition, I'll once again be working from my studio within the gallery, surrounded by the sketchbooks, field notes and paintings that have shaped my work. For those who can't visit in person, I'll be bringing as much of the exhibition—and the stories behind the paintings—to you as I can over the coming weeks on my social media channels.
