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The Tall Ships Race is returning to Aberdeen this summer, nearly three decades after their memorable visits in 1991 and 1997. The Tall Ships first arrived in Aberdeen in 1991, transforming the harbour into a vibrant festival of culture and maritime heritage, and returned in 1997 with thousands of visitors flocking to witness the splendour of the ships.
Renowned artist Howard Butterworth captured the essence of both these visits in pastel and oil, sketching and painting en plein air at the busy harbour side, immortalising the Tall Ships' beauty and the energy of the events.
To celebrate the return of the Tall Ships to Aberdeen, we’re excited to share with you some of Howard Butterworth’s rare and unseen sketches and paintings.
A tall ship is the term for a traditionally-rigged sailing vessel. Tall ship rigs include schooners , barques, barquentines, brigantines, and brigs. They can be categorised by the number of masts, the shape of the ship, and the cut of the sails; or by class (size) -
It's possible to identify some of the ships that visited from Howard's ship and boat studies, can you spot any of the ships returning this year? These studies along with the energetic sketches and paintings of the harbour complete with colourful bunting and crowds give such a vivid feeling of atmosphere and sense of nostalgia for this fabulous event!
Some of the works created en plein air at the harbour are available to buy as prints. A new release for this year to commemorate the return of the Tall Ships is 'Flying Colours' which featured in the 2025 Butterworth Calendar.
In addition, we’ve selected a small exhibition of Howard’s maritime paintings, featuring not only the Tall Ships but Scottish fishing boats, picturesque harbours, and fresh seascapes from across Scotland and Spain. These paintings offer a unique glimpse into his love of boats, a deep connection to the coast and his remarkable skill at bringing maritime life to the canvas. You can browse the full maritime collection including print editions and cards here!
This year, 45 ships will visit the port during the Tall Ships Races 2025, with more anticipated.The ships will arrive in Aberdeen on 19 July after competing against each other all the way from Dunkirk in France, and they will stay until 22 July, when the competing ships will sail onward to Kristiansand in Norway.
We cant wait to see the ships dock and the festival kick off!
We continue to work on our archive of original paintings by Howard Butterworth. If you have any enquiries or special requests about the artworks featured here or any other paintings please feel free to get in touch! Our mailing list provides regular updates of what's happening including new print editions and customer offers. Join our mailing list and receive 15% OFF your first order here!
More Information on this memorable event is available via
For some extra Tall Ships fun we have created the following FREE Online Jigsaw from Howards new print "Flying Colours" - We completed it in 10.13 minutes, can you beat us?!
