page from an album inscribed in the frontispage "F W Staines 3 Uplands St Leonards on Sea"
Amelia Jackson, Nee Staines (1842 – 1925) and thence by descent
Ben Venue is a mountain in the Trossachs area of Scotland. The name Ben Venue is derived from the Scottish Gaelic words meaning "the miniature mountain". The summit lies approximately 2 kilometres south-west of the pier at the southern end of Loch Katrine. At the foot of the mountain close to the shore of Loch Katrine is Bealach nam Bò meaning the "pass of the cattle", a reference to the lawless days when Highland cattle "lifters" used the pass to drive stolen herds to their land.
Ben Venue is a popular walk and can be accessed from either Ledard farm track at Loch Ard, via the Beinn an Fhogharaidh ridge, or from the car park at the head of Loch Achray: both routes are approximately 5 km in length. A sign in the forestry warns that the mountain should not be approached or descended directly to or from Loch Katrine, as the slopes on this side are very steep and littered with dangerous cliffs. Several indistinct paths do exist on this side of the hill however.
Ben Venue has two summits a short distance apart. The triangulation pillar on the eastern summit has a height of 727 m above sea level, and this height is often given as the height of Ben Venue as a whole. However the western summit is shown to be slightly higher, 729 m, on the Ordnance Survey's 1:25000 map. From (either) summit on a clear day the view extend to the Firth of Forth, the Clyde and Isle of Arran and the Paps of Jura. Good views can be seen along Loch Katrine, Ben A'an, Ben More, Stob Binnein, Ben Lomond and the Arrochar Alps.
Francis William Staines was the last of a family of merchants from the City of London. Not only was he a successful businessman but he possessed a large independent fortune, such that he could devote his time to the cultivation of his talents in music and art. He was a brilliant amateur violinist, and also loved to spend much of his time painting. His daughter Amelia and her mother accompanied Mr Staines as he travelled throughout the country finding subjects for his painting. One area of the country that they visited frequently was Scotland and the Lake District, and Amelia grew particularly fond of the dramatic landscape of the Fells. Skelwith Bridge with the view of the hills around it 43 was one of her father’s favourite scenes. He painted landscapes and maritime paintings , exhibited 11 works at the RA including views on the Italian Coast, address in London, Hastings and St Leonards on Sea Susssex.