The Declaration of Arbroath Gold Metallic Editions — The Story Continues with Burnished Gold

Updated October 2026.

This article originally announced the return of my framed Declaration of Arbroath Gold Metallic Print Editions.

A lot has changed since then, so I wanted to come back to this page and explain properly what happened — and, just as importantly, say thank you to everyone who bought one of these framed pieces over the years.

Those editions mean a great deal to me. They became part of the story of my work here in Arbroath, and I'm genuinely grateful that so many of them found homes with people who care about the Declaration, Scotland's history and what this document still represents.

 

 

Why the framed editions changed

The reason is straightforward: the specialist metallic paper used for the earlier framed editions was discontinued by the external print supplier.

That was a production decision outside my control. It meant I couldn't simply continue making the framed Gold Metallic editions in exactly the same way.

For a while, that left me with a choice. I could let the series end there, or I could work out a new way to carry the idea forward using materials and equipment I could control myself.

I chose to keep it alive.

What came out of that process is the new Declaration of Arbroath — Burnished Gold Fine Art Editions, printed by me here in Arbroath on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Metallic 340 gsm using an Epson SureColor SC-P7500 and UltraChrome Pro12 pigment inks.

Rooted in Arbroath

The Declaration has never just been another subject for me. I live and work here in Arbroath, in the shadow of Arbroath Abbey, and over the years it has become woven into a huge part of my creative life.

In 2016 the surviving Declaration of Arbroath manuscript was inscribed on UNESCO's Memory of the World Register. The Gold Metallic series became one of the ways I interpreted that extraordinary document as a contemporary fine-art object.

 

 

The earlier framed Gold Metallic Editions

The original Gold Metallic Editions were produced as chromogenic / C-Type photographic artworks on metallic paper and professionally mounted and framed. Their warm gold-like luminosity, coloured seals and changing response to light gave the series a character of its own.

They were offered in three colour presentations — Black Onyx, Pewter and Pearl — and in multiple framed sizes including a life-size presentation.

These photographs remain here deliberately. They're part of the history of the work, and I don't want that earlier chapter to disappear simply because the production route changed.

And again, to everyone who bought one of these framed editions: thank you. The new Burnished Gold editions don't make those earlier works obsolete. They remain the pieces they always were — part of an earlier, distinct publication with their own place in the story.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Explore the original framed Gold Metallic archive

I have deliberately kept the original framed Gold Metallic edition pages online as a historical archive.

They contain the deeper record of the earlier publication — the original C-Type metallic process, framed presentation, sizes, edition structure, certificates, supporting booklet, historic galleries and the wider material that sat behind those pieces.

If you own one of the original framed editions, or simply want to explore that earlier chapter properly, you can still go back into the archive here:

• Black Onyx — Original Gold Metallic C-Type Archive →
• Pewter — Original Gold Metallic C-Type Archive →
• Pearl — Original Gold Metallic C-Type Archive →

Those pages remain part of the permanent story of the project. Burnished Gold is the successor publication, not a replacement for the historical record of the original framed editions.

A new chapter — Burnished Gold

The new Burnished Gold Editions aren't a reprint of the old framed C-Type editions. They're a separate successor publication with their own materials, production method, presentation and edition records.

They're also supplied unframed, and that was a deliberate decision rather than a compromise.

It gives collectors freedom to choose their own presentation, but it also makes the work far more practical to protect and send beyond the UK. Scotland's story belongs to people far beyond Scotland itself, and I wanted a format that gave me a realistic way of sharing these pieces with people overseas who have Scottish roots, family connections or simply a love of the country's history.

• Three colourways: Black Onyx, Pewter and Pearl.
• Two formats: Collector Edition and Life-Size Edition.
• 1,320 numbered works in each colourway and format.
• Printed in Arbroath on Hahnemühle Photo Rag Metallic 340 gsm.
• Epson SureColor SC-P7500 printing with UltraChrome Pro12 pigment inks.
• Supplied unframed, allowing collectors to choose their own presentation.
• Certificate of Authenticity and paired serialised holograms supplied with each work.
• A5 companion booklet with supporting historical information, Latin text, English translation and information about the surviving seals.
• Preferred edition-number requests are welcome, from 0001 to 1320, subject to availability within the exact colourway and format.

That last point matters to me. If a number has meaning to you — a birthday, anniversary, family connection or simply a number that feels personal — you can ask for it. If it's still available in the exact edition you've chosen, I'll do my best to allocate it to you.

I think that makes the new pieces especially meaningful as gifts for people who feel a strong connection to Scotland and its history.

The metallic response comes from the interaction between pigment colour and the paper itself. There is no applied gold leaf and no gold ink. As the viewing angle and light change, the surface moves between a quieter cotton-paper character and a brighter burnished reflection.

Explore the current Burnished Gold Editions

Black Onyx — the deepest and most dramatic of the three colourways.
Explore Black Onyx →

Pewter — a cooler, more restrained setting with a balanced metallic character.
Explore Pewter →

Pearl — the lightest presentation, with a softer and more luminous field.
Explore Pearl →

The framed Gold Metallic editions remain an important part of the history of this project. Burnished Gold is simply the next chapter — born from a change I couldn't control, and from my decision to find a way forward rather than let the work stop there.

To everyone who has supported the Declaration editions over the years, thank you. It genuinely means a great deal to me.