A Bug’s Eye View – Ardersier and Airport Arts Project

Pupils from Ardersier Primary School recently visited Ardersier Common with The Highland Council’s Countryside Ranger, John Orr, to learn about the natural heritage in their surrounding area.  The group were accompanied by artist Brian McBeath and Eilidh Crumlish, from the Highland Print Studio, with a view to creating banners inspired by the insects, bugs and beasties that inhabit Ardersier Common, some of which are extremely rare in this area.

Ardersier Common is located next to the shore and is covered with windswept willow trees, which creates areas perfect for a variety of wildflowers to grow, thus encouraging a wonderful world of insects, bugs and beasties.

When the airport runway was built, gravel from Ardersier’s shingle ridges was extracted to be used to form the under surface of the runway. These shingle ridges were formed by many years of winter storms along the shore and contain huge quantities of rounded stones which were washed into the sea by rivers after the last ice age. 

During their visit the pupils looked closely at the insects, bugs and beasties as well as the flowers and fauna needed to sustain life.  They made sketches and preparatory work on site and developed these further back in the classroom with the Highland Print Studio artists.  They then visited the Highland Print Studio to create prints of their works and from these a series of banners were produced for display at Inverness Airport. 

Chairman of The Highland Council’s Education, Culture and Sport Committee, Councillor Bill Fernie said:  “This project has given the young folk a change to explore in detail their local natural environment and then interpret what they have discovered to produce creative pieces of artwork.  I would like to congratulate the young artists and everyone involved for all their hard work. I am sure the thousands of people using the airport will appreciate a colourful welcome to the Highlands.”

The young artists from Ardersier Primary will be visiting Inverness Airport tomorrow (Wednesday 13 February to see their banners hung in the arrivals area, where passengers and visitors alike will be able to enjoy their artwork.

A Bug’s Eye View was funded by the Scottish Arts Council and supported by the Inverness Schools’ Cultural Co-ordinator.

For more information contact Caroline Leitch, Schools’ Cultural Coordinator on 07919671906.