This is the first time the painting has been in public ownership since it was completed in 1851. It will hang in the Scottish National Gallery for six months and will then go on tour across Scotland.

Successful fundraising campaign

Last November NGS entered into a partnership agreement with Diageo who at the time owned 'The Monarch of the Glen'.

Under the arrangement, Diageo agreed to gift half the estimated market value of the painting to allow NGS the opportunity to acquire it for £4million. A number of donors have been involved: the general public, The National Lottery, The Art Fund, private trusts and foundations, the Scottish Government and Diageo Scotland Ltd.

Thanks to National Lottery players, HLF was able to support this acquisition with a grant of £2.75m.

[quote=Dame Seona Reid, HLF Trustee and Scotland Committee Chair]“Landseer’s Monarch of the Glen portrays a quintessentially Scottish scene but has a global reach."[/quote]

Dame Seona Reid, HLF Trustee and Scotland Committee Chair, said: “Landseer’s Monarch of the Glen portrays a quintessentially Scottish scene but has a global reach.  With the help of National Lottery players from across the UK, we are pleased to play a major role in securing it a permanent home at the National Galleries of Scotland."

Landseer's 19th-century genius

Landseer was among the most highly-regarded painters of the 19th century, renowned for the technical skill and empathy with which he depicted animals. The Monarch of the Glen, an attractive and romantic image of the Highlands, is his most famous large-scale picture.