Hoxa Tapestry Gallery sits at Hoxa on South Ronaldsay, around three miles from St Margaret's Hope on the signposted route out to Hoxa Head. Artist Leila Thomson established the gallery in 1996 to show her handwoven tapestries. Her daughter Jo Thomson, who studied painting at Edinburgh College of Art, now works alongside the collection, combining weaving with paint on canvas, while son Andrew Thomson handles picture framing and makes rugs from designs based on the family's artwork. Leila died in 2022, but her large tapestry pieces remain on permanent display. The gallery marked 20 years in business in 2016 and continues to operate as a working studio as much as a shop, with visitors able to see looms and pieces in progress alongside finished work for sale. It opens Tuesday to Saturday, 10am to 5pm, from April to September; over winter, viewing is by appointment as the family continue to work on site.
Surveyed