A watercolour showing Ewan McPherson, a young boy at Ardverkie shooting-lodge. McPherson is shown full-length, facing left in profile and holding straw/kindling under one arm. He is wearing Scottish dress with a kilt and blue jacket. A further bust-length study is shown to the upper right. Inscribed below: Ewan McPherson VR del: Sept: 17 - 1847. Ardverickie [sic] Queen Victoria visited Scotland with her family during August and September 1847, touring the Western Isles and then staying at Ardverikie Shooting-Lodge. The Queen left Osborne house with Prince Albert and their two eldest children on 11 August 1847 and sailed up the West coast of England and around Wales to Scotland. They arrived at Ardverikie on 21 August, where they stayed until 17 September 1847. Queen Victoria took a particular interest in ethnography and national costumes and when travelling regularly sketched people in local dress. In her journal entry of 17 September 1847, the Queen describes how she "finished making the sketch of that fine boy of 14 called McPherson, who helped in the steward's room".