Lot Essay
Born in Aberdeen, Giles is best known for his views of Scottish castles. However, he made a successful tour of Italy and the Continent between 1824 and 1826 and was elected to the Royal Scottish Academy in 1829. Queen Victoria's first sight of the castle at Balmoral was through watercolours prepared for her by James Giles, and it is partly on the strength of these views that Queen Victoria and Prince Albert took over the lease.