The Provost of Inverness has urged members of the public to come forward with ideas for a giant artwork at the entrance to the city.
Helen Carmichael says she would welcome a sculpture – but raised the question of funding.
Potential sites include the A9 Drumossie Brae or the new West Link route in Inverness.
Inverness chamber of commerce chief executive Stewart Nicol, along with Inverness MP Drew Hendry, previously said they would be open to discussing the opportunity for a new public artwork in the city.
Mr Nicol suggested Nessie would work well on the West Link road and canal as an entrance to the Great Glen, and Highland historian and author Iain Thornber believes there should be an artwork of a wild red deer stag and hind above the A9.
Work began earlier this year on the West Link scheme in Inverness – which by 2020 will link the A82 Fort William road to the A9 Perth road and A96 to Aberdeen.
The idea for Inverness has been tabled as plans to create an artwork by the Aberdeen bypass gather pace, taking inspiration from the famous Kelpies at Falkirk and the Angel of the North near Gateshead.
Yesterday Mrs Carmichael said: “I do think if the appropriate piece of artwork or sculpture for the Highlands was suggested and if funding was available then it should be looked at.
“I think it would need to be quite substantial in scale for people entering Inverness from Drummosie brae, or anywhere for that matter. It would need to be something quite impressive.
“It may also be possible to speak to people locally about turning huge trees into some kind of scuplture. If you could get the scale and get it to look right it might be worth considering.”
The Press and Journal revealed proposals last week to build a giant Aberdeen Angus bull in the north-east as part of plans for a “major” artwork at the side of the Granite City’s western peripheral route.
Previous proposals for a public artwork near the A9 entrance to Inverness have still to progress, while a smaller-scale plan for a so-called “Tilting Pier” at the River Ness was dumped this year after proving unpopular and controversial.
