1 February - 3 May 2026
Linthouse Building, Gottries Road, Irvine, KA12 8BT
Scottish Maritime Museum's website

Tides of Time

Scotland's Maritime Heritage Through the RSA

 

The Scottish Maritime Museum is excited to announce a partnership with the Royal Scottish Academy for a major exhibition exploring how Scotland’s seas and coastlines have inspired generations of artists.

This carefully curated exhibition will feature works by seven distinguished artists, each with deep connections to Scotland’s maritime heritage. Joan Eardley RSA's dynamic paintings capture the raw power of stormy seas, while John Bellany HRSA drew from his upbringing in a fishing family to create deeply personal works reflecting coastal life. Ian Hamilton Finlay HRSA and Ian Fleming RSA both found inspiration in Scotland’s harbours and vessels, translating maritime scenes into compelling visual narratives.

Will MacLean RSA has dedicated his career to chronicling the stories of Scotland’s fishing communities, while contemporary artists Kate Downie RSA and Joyce Cairns RSA continue this rich tradition, creating striking works that celebrate our coasts and ports.

This collaboration brings together exceptional artworks that will appeal to art enthusiasts and anyone interested in Scotland’s maritime heritage. The exhibition promises to showcase the profound influence of the sea on Scottish artistic expression across generations and will include Morning Harbour by Ian Fleming RSA, on loan from the RSA Collection.

 

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 Banner image: The Scottish Maritime Museum  

  • About the Scottish Maritime Museum
    The Scottish Maritime Museum

    About the Scottish Maritime Museum

    The Scottish Maritime Museum preserves and celebrates Scotland's rich maritime heritage at its main site in Irvine. The museum's centerpiece is the magnificent Linthouse Building, a Category A-listed former shipyard engine shop originally built in Govan in 1872 and relocated to Irvine Harbour in 1991. Often called Scotland's "Cathedral of Engineering," this stunning glass-roofed structure houses a nationally significant collection of historic vessels, marine engines, and industrial machinery.
    Visitors can explore Scotland's shipbuilding legacy through interactive exhibits, historic boats including Scotland's last puffer MV Spartan, and a recreated 1920s shipyard worker's tenement flat.