Eilean Shona is a wilderness island situated to the north of the Ardnamurchan peninsular and south of the Isle of Skye just off the West Coast of Scotland. With its ancient forests, craggy hillsides, hidden coves, sandy beaches and rich wildlife, it is considered by many to be one of the most glorious of all the Hebridean islands.

GENERAL INFORMATION 

Owned by Vanessa Branson, a champion of the arts, Eileen Shona’s cultural activities play an important role in the island's identity alongside its focus on enriching its biodiversity.

The island is car-free, and every effort is made to be plastic-free and carbon-neutral. Electricity comes from a hydroelectric power station, and water is sourced from the hills.

The island has long been an inspiration for artists and writers and to further build upon this legacy, a residency opportunity is being offered in partnership with the Royal Society of Sculptors.

This month-long residency on Eilean Shona is for one member of the Royal Society of Sculptors.

During the residency, the artist will have access to an abundant source of wood from the island's fallen trees and will be encouraged to reflect upon and respond to the natural environment for the whole one-month period.

The residency will run from Wednesday, 28 February to Wednesday, 28 March 2026, inclusive.

Accommodation will be provided, plus a studio with north light overlooking Loch Moidart and Castle Tioram.

The successful artist will receive a £1,000 stipend and £500 towards travel costs.

ABOUT THE RESIDENCY

Throughout the residency, the winning artist will have access to a studio and will be introduced to the area by the island woodsman.

The woodsman will also be able to offer guidance and support concerning the use of tools such as chainsaws.

Accommodation is a one-bedroomed woodman’s cottage for the one-month period; the accommodation will be for the artist alone, and guests will not be permitted.

The opportunity also includes an artist talk, the chance to contribute to the island’s permanent art collection and to contribute to the Eilean Shona blog.

The artist will also be encouraged to document their progress for an Instagram takeover of the Royal Society of Sculptors account.

JUDGES 

Vanessa Branson

Vanessa Branson is a champion of global cultural and ecological initiatives and is frequently sought after as a keynote speaker and event chair.

As the Founding President of the Marrakech Biennale, she created North Africa’s only trilingual arts festival – comprising visual art, literature and film programs featuring acclaimed international and Moroccan artists.

In October 2014, Vanessa Branson was awarded the Royal distinction of Officer of the Order of Ouissam Alaouite, a Royal honour in recognition of the contribution she has made to the Moroccan cultural scene and, in particular, for her efforts in establishing Marrakech as a richly diverse and eclectic platform for the arts.

Prior to this, between 1999 and 2004, she was co-founding curator with Prue O'Day of the Wonderful Fund Collection.

Her other cultural projects have included the establishment and co-direction – along with Prue O’Day and Anatol Orient – of the Portobello Arts Festivals in 1987, 1988 and 1989.

Active as an entrepreneur, she founded the Vanessa Devereux Gallery (1986–91) in London, where she showed a number of emerging artists, including William Kentridge’s UK debut exhibition.

In 2002, along with her business partner Howell James CBE, she developed an ancient crumbling palace in the centre of Marrakech into a beautiful boutique hotel - El Fenn.  

She owns and runs Eilean Shona, a tidal island on the west coast of Scotland at the entrance to Loch Moidart where J M Barrie wrote the screenplay for Peter Pan.

She is a trustee of the British Moroccan Society and The Leilea Alaoui Foundation, as well as a trustee for Virgin Unite.

Her memoir One Hundred Summers was published in May 2020.

Amanda Cornish GBA

Amanda Cornish is a London-based multidisciplinary artist whose practice begins with the shared vulnerability of human and ecological systems, exploring how both endure cycles of use, degradation and renewal.

Through site-responsive and process-driven works, using field recording, foraged soil and wood, domestic items such as clothing and soap, text and discarded industrial materials, she aims to create encounters that reflect ecological cycles and invite us to reimagine renewal as a shared ongoing process.

Her work mediates between objecthood and perception, where sculptural surfaces become records of contact, memory and time, leaving traces that coproduce meaning.

These marks reveal how materials act as living archives, holding historical cultures as well as ecological and personal histories within their layers, creating spaces for stillness, reflection, and renewed attention to the resilience and agency embedded in matter.

Amanda Cornish graduated from the Royal College of Art with a MA in Sculpture (2024), where she also completed the Graduate Diploma Fine Art programme (2022-23). Prior, she studied at Chelsea School of Art (1985-87).

She has exhibited nationally and internationally, had residencies with Standpoint Gallery and Eilean Shona and has been the recipient of several awards, including the Gilbert Bayes Award (2025) from The Royal Society of Sculptors.

ENTRY FEE

Free to enter 

ENTRY PROCESS 

To complete this application, please provide the following:

• A selection of images of recent work (five to twelve)
• A CV of no more than two pages long
• A statement telling us how a residency on Eilean Shona might impact your practice
• A statement telling us how you might use the island context to inform your project 

The closing deadline for applications is 5 pm, Tuesday, 11 November 2025.

Unfortunately, due to the number of applications we receive, feedback will not be given at this stage. Notification of all results will be sent by email in early December.

RULE & GUIDELINES 
By submitting an application, the entrant promises that all of the information comprised in the application is correct. 

The entrant also promises to comply with these rules and any other requirements specified by the Society (whether on its website or otherwise), and the Society reserves its right to exclude any entry which, in its opinion, does not comply.

All applications must be made using the online form. No hard copy applications will be accepted. Applications must be received by the closing date specified.

Any submissions must be lawful; they must not be offensive, obscene, racist, discriminatory or otherwise objectionable, and they must not contain any form of advertising.

Entrants grant the Royal Society of Sculptors and Eilean Shona the unrestricted right (without royalty) to reproduce images of any work in connection with the island residency, be it online, printed or otherwise disseminated.

The Judge’s decision is final. If the Royal Society of Sculptors is unable to contact any short-listed artist or winners via the email address supplied by the entrant, the shortlist position lapses, and the Society reserves the right to select alternative winners.

ELIGIBILITY 

Applications are welcomed from all Royal Society of Sculptors Members and Fellows provided they have not been awarded a Society residency in the 12 months prior to the applications opening.

Please note that for your application to be accepted, your annual membership fee must be paid in full by the submission deadline or an existing quarterly direct debit be in place.

The successful candidate will be required to provide references.