19/10/2026
We are excited to be working with acclaimed Scottish artist Iona Leishman, displaying three of her unique pieces inspired by historic events, here at Bannockburn House.
Iona is a contemporary Scottish landscape artist whose energetic work is vividly textured and expressive. She has been artist-in-residence at Stirling Castle, and is deeply inspired by events, landscapes and figures of our local and national history.
See three of her pieces, 'Escape at Dawn', 'Defeat at Flodden', and 'The Pity of War' which are available for purchase. Please get in touch with any enquiries.
Escape At Dawn
Created when Iona was Historic Environment Scotland’s first artist in residence at Stirling Castle, ‘Escape At Dawn’ imagines a dark February morning in 1548 when five-year-old Mary, Queen of Scots was taken from her childhood home. The Scottish queen was in danger from a determined English army intent on capturing her as bride for Prince Edward, son of Henry VIII.
Mary was taken to Inchmahome Priory on the Lake of Menteith west of Stirling, and from there to Dumbarton Castle. From here, she sailed for France, returning to Scotland 13 years later after the death of her husband King Francis II. Her beloved mother, Marie de Guise, had also just died in Edinburgh Castle.
Iona’s imaginary painting imagines the child’s terror and confusion as she is escorted away from all she knew.
The Pity of War
Central to the 'The Pity of War', is the expression of utter horror and disbelief on the face of James IV, his realisation of what he had unleashed. He had led his army across the border and invaded England. This is the moment he realises all is lost, he is outmanoeuvred; the next moment he plunges into the melee and is hacked to death, the last British monarch to die in battle. The lone horseman in the painting speaks of the one man to return to the border town of Selkirk, the only one of 80 who set out in support of their King, that September day, 1513.
Defeat at Flodden
In ‘Defeat at Flodden’, grief and disbelief play out over a suggested outline of Scotland’s border and eastern coastline. Exhausted people pay homage to their dead King as he fades into the eternal horizon and the younger man, his son James V, comes into focus, belligerent and angry with his father.
The King is dead, long live the King.
James IV was the last monarch in the British Isles to die in battle and it is said that there was not a family in all of Scotland who did not lose a relative that day. The deaths of the 14,000 who died in two hours of battle included prominent figures in Scottish life, chancellors of Scotland's universities. Iona believes the catastrophic events of 9 September 1513, grievously wounded Scotland’s progress for centuries to come.
These two major pieces, 'The Pity of War’ and ‘Defeat at Flodden’, were created at Iona’s studio at Cowane’s Hospital, a 17th century almshouse at the top of the town, Stirling. Built by merchant John Cowane in 1637 for the ‘twelve decayed guild brethren’, elderly members of the Merchant Guildry of Stirling. This was Iona’s studio for almost three years, the place where she created work for ‘Catastrophe to Crown, Flodden 500 Years’ exhibition in the Castle’s Chapel Royal.
