I am hoping to pick up antique oil paitings to bring back to the US. Ideally, lower priced oils which may have some damage to them. The last time I was in Scotland, I didn't have any luck at the shops as prices were quite high (tourist areas). I also had a hard time finding shops using web searches....it seems many aren't listed on the web. Or if they were, I would find that they were no longer in business. Does anyone know of any antique fairs or large shops that they can suggest? While I can travel some it would be nice to find places in the regions I am vacationing. I always fly into Edinburgh then typically head west or to Skye but can devivate from that path. There is a fabulous shop in Broadford (Skye Antiques I believe) so I am familiar with that one. With that being said, if someone were to tell me about a great fair or large shop, I could easily take a 3-4 hour detour.
Posted by
3 posts
Thanks for the tip on Broadford. We'd to visit some shops on our first trip in June.
I hope you receive some helpful responses.
Posted by
Camano Island, WA, usa
1448 posts
I was web surfing and it seems that the next batch of Antique Fairs in Scotland are in April 2017. If you are going to be there in late Spring or early Summer you might look for Boot Sales which spring up in the Commons or open fields near Villages. You are more likely to find more distressed Oils there than in the shops. You might find more antique shops in the Borders because there would trade from the English, too. We went to a couple of Antique Fairs in Northern England and strangely they have much the same stuff as we do in the States. So it depends on the exchange rate if you can find any bargains. Good Luck! Some times you can find local trade publications for events and ads for shops at the local street markets.
Posted by
Tunbridge Wells
6113 posts
Ebay and the Internet generally have killed off most antique shops in the UK, along with changing tastes. You would be better focussing on the borders, rather than the remote highlands.