BOTANICAL PAINTING HOLIDAY AT BELLE ISLE CASTLE IN COUNTY FERMANAGH, NORTHERN IRELAND

This is a unique opportunity to develop botanical drawing and painting skills in the magical surroundings of the Duke of Abercorn's Belle Isle Castle and Estate in County Fermanagh

This botanical painting course in County Fermanagh is the perfect holiday for artists and non-artists alike: enthusiasts of this absorbing and increasingly popular art form are guided through drawing and watercolour painting techniques in a relaxed and encouraging way by experienced tutor and botanical painter Marianne McPhie. Meanwhile, non-painters are free to explore a fantastic range of outdoor activities, including excellent fishing, a choice of eight golf courses, and numerous designated scenic walks in one of the most beautiful and unspoilt settings in Ireland.

Guests will stay in stylish and comfortable accommodation in the Castle and Courtyard, and will be able to relax in the Castle's elegant Drawing Room with its striking Russian paintings from St. Petersberg, and dine in the vast Grand Hall with its magnificent antiques and minstrel's gallery.

Flowers in the Castle's sunken garden, and fruits and vegetables in the red-bricked walled garden, provide a delightful source of inspiration and beauty for aspiring botanical artists who, irrespective of experience, will find themselves drawing and painting with increasing confidence and skill as the benefits of daily instruction and demonstrations - and the enjoyment of shared concentration and interaction - start to take effect.

The class is deliberately kept small to allow for one-to-one tuition, so early booking is essential. The course is suitable for all levels of ability, including beginners, with the more practised free to follow their own pace and projects if desired.

The cost of the Botanical Painting Course is £850. This includes 5 nights' accommodation, all meals and four days of botanical painting tuition.

The cost for non-painters is £550 full-board or £490 half-board.

For bookings and all enquiries please contact Marianne McPhie

T: +44(0)1636 814328; E: mariannemcphie@btinternet.com

For more information on Belle Isle visit http://www.belleisle-estate.com