THE LEAST VISITED ATTRACTION IN THE OUTER HEBRIDES 2024

 

The Western Isles wanderer.

THE LEAST VISITED ATTRACTION IN THE OUTER HEBRIDES 2024

Reporter Tottie Nadin.

In the past this award has rightly gone to rather dull remote locations, which have subsequently been endowed with a strange magnet force that has transformed them into major attractions. This somewhat dubious award has gone to the New Tolsta STUDIO 17 run by artist Tom Hickman. Tom is no stranger to awards; in 2017 he received the accolade of New Tolsta’s architectural merit award for the best shed, and I expect you all remember in 2022 his home winning the BBC Scotland’s Home of the Year. This year, it would seem has got off to a good start with no visitor at all during the Easter break despite a steady stream of tourists heading to Traigh Mhor and Garry beach as well as the not to be missed Bridge to Nowhere. Studio 17 is sign posted at the junction, but it would seem those heading out to the end of the road are solely intent on ticking the “I’ve been there” box.

Tom seemed totally oblivious as to the irony of this latest award as he told me he now charged an entry fee of £5, which was refunded with any purchase. When I asked him how that was going he replied “hard to judge, early days, I haven’t seen anyone as yet”. He professed to being somewhat distracted by the need to get his peats cut, and since it was a fine afternoon I could sense he was keen that our interview should be as brief as possible. The opening hours are somewhat erratic and he freely admitted that if it’s a nice day he may well go for a dip or a wander out to the nearest loch. 

If you are lucky enough to find him open you’ll discover a studio crammed full with of all manner of objects, the entire space like some insane cabinet of curiosities, and an extra ordinary collection of diverse artwork all made by Tom. As I did a quick unpaid for flit around the gallery I noticed there were very few things with prices, apparently he has bought labels but hasn’t got round to writing them out, always finding something more creative to do. Being a newcomer to a mobile phone he confessed that most of its functions still remained a total mystery to him. Since he has no land line, and there is no reception at No 17 it’s hard to see how having a phone could change anything. He also assured me that madness did not run in his family as he pressed on enthusiastically to outline his latest attraction to offer personal in depth private tours around his house, garden and studio. Only a select few with £100 to blow will be lucky enough to enjoy this exclusive offer. He estimates this behind the scenes tour with countless amusing tales will take a minimum of 2 hours and obviously coffee and homemade cake are included in the price. When asked to give an evening talk during his one man show at An Lanntair in 2019 he created another first by talking for two and a half hours, so given that he now intended to include his home and garden I imagine 2 hours could be a serious underestimate. One has to admire his optimism if nothing else, and he admitted that with no interruption he does get loads done in a day.

 

When I suggested he put up an open sign he said he usually did, but today he didn’t want to run the risk of our chat being interrupted. Well that was hardly likely to happen. He added that the open sign had thus far only attracted one person on foot who’d got fifteen minutes to kill before the bus arrived. At this juncture I felt I’d taken up enough of his valuable time and would in any case need to watch out for my own bus back to Stornoway. I was left with so many conflicting feelings around the wealth of creativity, and why anyone would want to produce so much, and yet make so little effort to sell. Then I caught sight of the catalogue for his last London show and everything slipped into place. These highly successful folk art exhibitions see his work snapped up by worldwide cognoscenti, and New Tolsta is a world away from London or New York.