Beauly artist set to appear on TV show capturing his work on Muir of Ord tower
An artist and craftsman from Beauly is set to appear on a television show.
Paul Mowbary (57) was instrumental in the restoration of Fairburn Tower, near Muir of Ord, and his workmanship has been captured in a documentary for More4.
Historic House Rescue will be broadcast this Thursday (May 15) at 9pm and captures his experience of using the skills he has built over a lifetime.
Fairburn Tower was was built in 1545 for Murdo Mackenzie, gentleman of the bedchamber to King James V.
In 2020 it was a roofless wreck. Now it has been restored to its former renaissance glory and is available as a holiday let.
Paul said: “The proposal for a painted ceiling in Fairburn Tower was to provide a 'bright and appealing interior' as well as being a 'historically accurate evocation' and the painted ceiling in Delgatie Castle was to be a point of 'reference'.
“I have carried out decorative restoration and conservation in many of Scotland’s Castles from the mid-1980s, with early painted ceilings styles and colour palettes being a constant source of fascination for me. After learning of the proposal for Fairburn Tower, I thought ‘this sounds like the perfect project’.”
Paul decided to take on the opportunity of being filmed for the show to broadcast his skills.
He said that artists in Scotland have quite sporadic work, so an opportunity to talk about what he does is always helpful.
“The security in Scotland for constant work in conservation and restoration is still very patchy”, said Paul.
“By accepting the exposure of the documentary and taking the time to speak, it will hopefully let more people know what I do.”
The Landmark Trust, a conservation charity, runs Fairburn Tower.
By possessing a variety of skills in craftsmanship, Paul was able to ensure that he was able to help with more of the project.
He hopes to be able to pass this knowledge on to young artists.
Paul said: “I love exploring art forms. A matter of survival as an artist in Scotland is diversifying your skills.
“A lot of the work in projects is also research.
“For Fairburn Tower, a historian from The Landmark Trust contributed their mindset and knowledge so that everything was correct.
“I would like to go on forever, but it is good to show people the different forms that can be used and I would like to pass that knowledge on.”
