SOTHEBY'S annual Scottish Art sale was a solid offering, containing few surprises for the regular market-watcher in terms of results or selling rate.

Such sales are generally judged on the strength of the "Scottish Colourist" works featured, and here the Peploes did not disappoint. Sensible estimates, and a good range of works, allowed them to perform to full potential.

Lot 6, Pink Roses (below), was the pick of the bunch, a delightfully creamy and painterly early oil. Peploe's "white" pictures are much-prized, and the familiar motifs and market-freshness were in its favour. Despite modest dimensions, it fetched a healthy £499,000 (estimate: £2-300,000).

The National:

Lot 16, a more typical and considered 1920s composition of pink roses and fruit by Peploe, offered a revealing comparison. It realised £327,000 (estimate: £2-300,000).

Lot 2, The White Strand, Iona, was a fine, crisp Peploe from the fascinating Scottish sub-genre centred on the tiny Hebridean island (popularised by FCB Cadell, who spent most summers there). Prices for these standard-sized panels are generally fairly predictable, but this one rightly found favour at £138,600 (estimate: £50-70,000).

Lot 15, A Perthshire Road, was more standard fare, but these subjects by Peploe have been excelling of late and it fetched £113,400 on the day (estimate £50-80,000).

Otherwise, Cadell's appealing little still life (lot 32) White, Pink and Blue had been on the market in recent years. In his earlier, painterly style, the slightly cluttered composition nonetheless sold easily enough at £163,800 (est 80-120,000). Of the other Colourists, Fergusson and Hunter currently remain subject to more erratic bidding, as does Maclauchlan Milne.

The singular Joan Eardley continues to sell with ease, further confirming her place in the upper echelons of the Scottish market.

The National:

Lot 68, Scrubbing the Steps (above), was a strong example of a theme which can be a little more challenging for the casual collector than her depictions of children, or the village of Catterline. Succinct, and with touches of pure colour lifting the soot-stained Townhead edifice, it made £32,760. It was unsigned, but bearing the studio number verso as these often do.

Meanwhile, on the south side, John Miller's view from Hampden Terrace to the skyline of 1960s industrial Glasgow realised more than ten times its pre-sale estimate at £7560.

Alberto Morrocco and Anne Redpath can still attract healthy sums for the right pictures, when offered at the right levels. Both have suffered in the past from overly-optimistic pricing, and/or market saturation. Stephen Conroy, much less prolific, was a solid performer as usual.

Finally, despite their undeniable significance, the work of William McTaggart and the Glasgow Boys still appears good value in the marketplace.

As ever, quality and market-freshness remain of paramount importance. Bidding is still selective, and these online sales are intended to maximise the chances of encouraging collectors to participate. It appears, however, that most of the action still takes place on the day of the sale.