Monumental Scotland

Some of the most iconic postcard images of Scotland feature our many standing stones and stone circles some of the earliest, and still surely some of the most striking examples of monumental sculpture. Although the origins of beautiful structures like those at Callanish, Machrie Moor on Arran, or Scara Brae on Orkney, are lost in the mists of time, archaeologists can increasingly piece together more of their significance for the people who made them. But you don't have to be an expert to feel impressed by the stones, nor to see in their carved surfaces the skilled hands of long ago artists.

A haunting beauty

While we might not understand the precise reasons they were made, we are still fascinated by the haunting beauty that standing stones represent, and find their rugged mystery unforgettable. Part of the awe we experience as we stand before these majestic stone configurations comes from the way they almost seem part of the landscape that surrounds them, in scale as well as silent grandeur. Such inspiring interventions into the natural landscape have been echoed many times in the thousands of years since these ancient monuments were constructed. And Scottish artists have continued to design and build dramatic monuments to heroes and to ideas, from the staggering heights of the 1869 National Wallace Monument in Stirling, to the countless war memorials erected in the aftermath of the First and Second World Wars, and still proudly bearing the names of those tragically lost.

Breathtaking views

The Wallace Monument, in particular, is breathtaking as its 220ft walls tower above the surrounding trees, dominating the epic setting and well deserving its reputation as a national landmark. This is not the only monument that Scotland's greatest hero has inspired, however. On a slightly more humble scale, but still of gargantuan proportions, is the 31ft high Wallace Statue at Bermersyde in the Scottish Borders. Unveiled to the public in 1814, the monumental statue is notable for the fact that it bears no resemblance whatsoever to Braveheart's Mel Gibson unlike (some would say!) the modern Wallace Statue in Stirling, which was roundly criticised for displaying an uncanny similarity to the actor when installed below the National Monument in 1997.

Strong feelings

And it seems that monuments are still able to arouse strong feelings and to represent them. Often these monuments are long overdue and greatly welcomed when they are finally completed, as with the recent monument to the Women's Timber Corps unveiled recently in Aberfoyle. The 'Lumberjills' as they became affectionately known, were part of the Women's Land Army, recruited to work in the timber industry during the Second World War, and filling a labour gap caused by the vast number of men on active military service. These women led a hard life of tough manual labour and primitive conditions to provide an essential part of the war effort. They ensured the supply of timber to industry, until the Corps was disbanded in 1946. Surprisingly, despite their heroism, they had never been publicly honoured in this way before, and so the 2007 monument showing a life-size bronze figure of a Lumberjill looking out over the Queen Elizabeth Forest Park in Aberfoyle, is a significant token of official recognition and gratitude.

The Lumberjills are only one example of recent Scottish memorials being used to celebrate an illustrious past, and to preserve its memory for future generations. Many may be surprised to learn, for example, that until recently Aberdeen a city inextricably tied to King Robert the Bruce had only one statue of this heroic figure: a small figurine in the Aberdeen City Chambers. This oversight is soon to be amended, however, as 2007 saw the launch of a major competition to find a sculptor able to complete a prestigious monument of the former King, with the final artwork predicted to cost around 125,000. Maquettes by the three shortlisted artists have been on display and residents voted for their preferred choice adding to the air of anticipation that already surrounds this landmark public commission.

New monuments

With a 20ft stone cairn in Clydebank also planned as a monument to the 4,000 lives lost on the Lancastria during the Second World War, and an elegant bronze sculpture dedicated to Badenoch and Strathspey's Olympian sporting talent unveiled in October of this year, it is clear that the traditional monument is alive and well in contemporary Scotland. Sculptor David Cornell is even working on the first life-size marble bust of our national bard, Robert Burns, to be created in 130 years supported by the Robert Burns World Federation.

Scotland is also known, however, for its innovation and excellence in contemporary art, and so it is fitting that many current artists are finding exciting new ways to make the monuments of the future.

Tributes large and small

Striking among these is 'Travelling the Distance' - Glasgow artist Shauna McMullan's thought-provoking 2006 monument to the Women's Suffrage movement. This beautiful artwork is made up of porcelain sentences in the handwriting of 100 women expressing admiration of women they felt had contributed to Scottish life, culture, and democracy. The work was commissioned by the Scottish Executive and is now housed in the New Scottish Parliament Building in Edinburgh.

At the other end of the scale is artist Andy Scott's gargantuan work 'Kelpies' for the Forth Clyde canal two enormous horses' heads, each measuring 35 metres in height, which will be part of the functioning boat lift mechanism. We were able to catch a few words with the sculptor as he was hard at work producing 3.5 metre maquettes for the piece and asked him how he felt about the size of the piece, which will be the largest equine sculpture in the world. He said:

Functional and eye-catching

"The challenge was that the piece had to be functional, as well as eye-catching. My aim was really to take an engineering principle and, from that, produce a global icon. The result is a memorial cry to the lost arts of engineering in Scotland, and a monument to the agricultural and industrial horses that played such a great role in establishing Scotland as a nation."

So, as Inverness residents enjoy the return of the historic 'Three Graces' sculpture to the city centre after an absence almost 50 years, and Edinburgh invests 160,000 on T.L.C. for its Melville Monument in St Andrew Square Gardens, we can be sure that Scotland still takes its public memorials very seriously. And so it should; as the next generation of groundbreaking Scottish artists re-invigorate the traditions of their forebears, we should remember that by doing so they are keeping our history alive.