The British sales have been strong in the face of weakness in other categories. Colin Gleadell points out that the demand for British (and Irish) art has also included strength in Scottish paintings:

This modern British wave started on June 9th in Edinburgh at Lyon & Turnbull. Here, the auctioneers were selling two fine old Scottish collections that reaped an above-estimate £2.6 million. From the Robertson collection came a small but lusciously painted early 20th century café scene in Paris by JD Fergusson, for which a private collector had to pay £194,500, nearly four times the estimate. From the Wood collection, the Scottish colourist section was led by a boldly modern 1920s still life FCB Cadell which

Art Sales: Modern British art and the most valuable sale of the summer? (Telegraph)