Hester Aspland Illustration – Meet the Maker

We’re delighted to be working with an incredible community of small businesses, bringing together a truly unique range of products in our gift shop.

To kick off our Meet the Maker series, we’re shining a spotlight on our collaboration with illustrator and ceramicist Hester Aspland Illustration, creator of the commissioned collection, Calanais Through Time.

Commissioned by Urras nan Tursachan (The Standing Stones Trust) Calanais Through Time celebrates the enduring spirit of Calanais – a place where local customs, traditional crafts, and island life have evolved across the landscape for millennia.

Inspired by the myths and legends of the Calanais Stones, Hester’s illustrations are deeply rooted in the island’s natural rhythms: the turning seasons, the shifting landscape, the lunar cycle and the path of the sun. Together, they capture the timeless beauty, mystery, and rich cultural heritage of Calanais.

You can now discover Calanais Through Time across a range of products in our gift shop, including t-shirts, hoodies, hats, totebags, notebooks and more.

Based in Uig on the Isle of Lewis, Hester’s work is deeply inspired by folklore, history and the landscapes of the islands. Over the past few years, she’s collaborated with storytellers across Scotland and Scandinavia, illustrating collections of traditional folktales.

Working primarily with traditional dip pen and ink, Hester also creates beautiful ceramic sculptures and pottery, and has recently been exploring tapestry weaving and natural dyeing.

Having spent time sketching and getting to know the Calanais Stones, partnering with us felt like a natural fit. Hester wanted her designs to capture not only the stones themselves, but the wider island landscape, its rich craft traditions and ways of life that have evolved over thousands of years.

Each stone has its own unique texture and character, something that’s reflected throughout Hester’s designs. To help shape the collection, she also attended several of our recent HAAR events, gathering inspiration and reference material along the way.

We’re thrilled to share this incredible commissioned artwork by Hester Aspland Illustration, bringing 5,000 years of Calanais history together in a single beautifully detailed piece.

Every corner tells a story. Can you spot the key archaeological discoveries, from Neolithic pottery and the Bronze Age hoard to the famous Lewis Chessmen?

Look out for the folklore of Calanais too, including the legendary White Cow of Callanish and the striking illustration of Cailleach na Mointeach.

Native birds, traditional blackhouses and shielings are woven throughout the landscape, alongside the sun, moon and stars – a tribute to the site’s enduring connection with the solstice and lunar standstill.

One of our favourite details is the careful depiction of the Calanais Stones – the detail of the Gneiss rock – each illustrated with its own texture and character, just like the stones themselves.

There’s so much to discover – what catches your eye first?

The Calanais Through Time collection is now available in our gift shop, bringing the 5,000 year story of Calanais to life across a beautiful range of thoughtfully designed products.

As we begin this new chapter at the Visitor Centre, sustainability remains at the heart of what we do.

Our stationary has been designed and made in Scotland using 100% recycled European paper stock, while our clothing includes organic cotton t-shirts that are ethically produced and independently audited by the Fair Wear Foundation.

Each garment is screen printed using environmentally conscious inks and processes, including water-based, environmentally friendly emulsion, and phthalate-free plastisol inks.

From a hoodie to a magnet, or a tote bag to a beanie – there’s something for everyone.

Whether you’re looking for a meaningful keepsake or a special gift, we’d love to welcome you into the gift shop to explore the collection for yourself.