The Arts

A GLEN FRUIN man turned his back on farming — and harvested a very successful new career as an actor.

THE BBC One TV series Shetland attracted huge viewing figures . . . and one of the reasons for that was the stunning performance of a former Rosneath Primary and Hermitage Academy pupil.

ROSNEATH was the setting for several of the stories written by the renowned Victorian writer Margaret Oliphant.

ONE of the best-known names in Scottish Jazz lived until thirty months ago in Portincaple.

ONE of Helensburgh’s top living artists was born in Northampton — but loves the west coast of Scotland which features in many of her paintings.

NUMEROUS poems have been composed about Cardross and its surroundings, including several by poetesses with village connections.

A WELL-KNOWN face in Helensburgh and district was a man who saw a lot of the world, and more than likely his experiences helped shape a mature outlook on life . . . and his poetry.

HELENSBURGH and district is well known for renowned artists and architects . . . but it also has had notable poets.

A HELENSBURGH actor and singer had a quiet 2020 because of coronavirus restrictions . . . but that is very unusual in a varied and successful theatrical career.

Bass-baritone Duncan Smith, youngest son of well-known local artist and art teacher Gregor Ian Smith and his wife Kathleen, has appeared in many West End productions, toured at home and abroad, and worked with many famous names.

'The Old Soldier of the Gareloch Head'

This poem was written by Professor John Stuart Blackie (1809-1895).

Professor Blackie was appointed to the Greek Chair in Edinburgh University in 1852. He worked hard to preserve the Gaelic language and literature and he was instrumental in founding the Chair of Celtic Literature in the University of Edinburgh.

A HUGELY talented Scottish artist and illustrator spent part of World War One living in Helensburgh and serving as an Admiralty Assistant Overseer Airships at the Inchinnan airfield.

Works by William Russell Flint (later Sir William) became more and more in demand over the years, despite what some critics considered to be crassness in his treatment of the female figure.

THE MYSTERY of two Gareloch steam yachts has been solved by a local expert in the field.

It all began in August when Mary-Jane Selwood of the Anderson Trust Local Collection, which is housed in Helensburgh Library, researched the work of watercolourist Tom Campbell (1865-1943) because one of his works is in the collection.