THE STORNOWAY STORY
Our town. Our stories. Our future.
Chris Rutterford
Chris Rutterford is one of the UK’s leading mural artists, known for creating ambitious, large-scale artworks that transform spaces and bring communities together.
Over the past decade, Chris has produced a range of high-profile murals inspired by Scottish culture and history, including Tam O’ Shanter, Hogmanay, the Battle of Bannockburn and the famous Ibrox football crowd.
His work focuses on storytelling, community and belonging, creating vibrant spaces that people connect with and return to time and again.
One of his most notable projects is The Colinton Tunnel in Edinburgh, where he transformed a neglected Victorian railway tunnel into Scotland’s largest mural. The 140-metre artwork illustrates a Robert Louis Stevenson poem and involved more than 500 children and two street artists in its creation.
Chris led the design and delivery of the project, helping turn the tunnel into a popular visitor attraction and a striking example of how public art can breathe new life into a community.
As part of The Stornoway Story mural trail, artist Chris Rutterford worked with a talented group of S3–S6 art pupils from The Nicolson Institute to create a mural for the Smokehouse on Shell Street, Stornoway. The mural was completed following a fortnight of workshops, giving pupils the opportunity to contribute their own ideas and creativity to the project and see their artwork become part of Stornoway’s townscape. The collaboration reflected Chris’s aim of involving local schools and the wider community, creating a sense of connection and shared ownership of the mural trail.
