Phil Miller Arts Correspondent John Bellany, the leading Scottish artist, has provided a colourful image of Macduff harbour for the official Christmas card of the First Minister.

Phil Miller Arts Correspondent John Bellany, the leading Scottish artist, has provided a colourful image of Macduff harbour for the official Christmas card of the First Minister.

The 2008 Christmas card from Alex Salmond, whose constituency of Banff and Buchan includes Macduff, also celebrates the forthcoming Year of Homecoming and will raise funds for four Scottish charities.

Bellany, well known for his maritime themes, has donated his canvas, which will be first displayed in Duff House in Banffshire, then the Dean Gallery in Edinburgh, before being auctioned next year for the benefit of Aberdeen Cyrenians, Islamic Relief, Scottish Catholic International Aid Fund and the Royal National Lifeboat Institution.

Mr Salmond said: "The wonderful piece of art donated by John Bellany for this year's Homecoming Christmas card can be enjoyed by everyone in Scotland.

"The Bellany image of fishing boats returning to Macduff harbour is ideal for taking us into the Homecoming year."

Yesterday, Bellany explained the inspiration for the image, saying that when he saw the scarlet boat in the harbour, the Margaret Jane, he thought The Homecoming would be an apt title for a painting of the scene.

"Macduff is one of my favourite places in Scotland. It was also the fishing town where my mother-in-law grew up. She lived the same kind of life as my grandparents and parents in Eyemouth and Port Seton," the artist said.

"Every boat played a huge part in the economy and the lives of the community, it was the focus and pride of the whole family, imbued with a profound spiritual love.

"Beauty is another virtue the boat takes on, and the Margaret Jane is certainly a lovely boat. At the back of my mind when executing this painting was the masterpiece of Vermeer, A View of Delft. I am delighted the First Minister has chosen this image for the Christmas card and hope it gives as much pleasure as it gave me to paint it."

The Homecoming painting will join other works by John Bellany as part of the Four Scottish Painters display at the Dean Gallery, Edinburgh.

The exhibition will be made up of works from the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art's permanent collection and concentrates on four Scottish artists of the post-Second World War period: Wilhelmina Barns-Graham, John Bellany, Alan Davie and Anne Redpath.

Bellany is also one of around 50 artists who will contribute works to a major exhibition at the Mitchell Library in Glasgow next year.