About this artwork

Knox captured the sweeping grandeur and majestic beauty of the Trossachs and Loch Katrine, as described by Sir Walter Scott in his poem The Lady of the Lake. Its publication in 1810 boosted the number of visitors to the area. In the left foreground of Knox's painting visitors, welcomed by a piper, wait to board a ferry to Ellen's Isle, named after Scott's heroine. Ellen and her exiled father Douglas found Loch Katrine to be a haven of peace and tranquility, the very qualities which mass tourism threatened to undermine.

Audio commentary

This commentary is part of the National audio tour. Listen to the whole tour in Smartify.

Updated before 2020

Does this text contain inaccurate information or language that you feel we should improve or change? Tell us what you think.

John Knox

John Knox