Designs to reflect the seafaring heritage of a Moray town in a “gateway” to the community have gone on display for the first time.
Herring assembled in the shape of a deer, Scandinavian flowers arranged in fishing creels and steel sheets to represent the strong spirit of locals have all been proposed for the art installation in Buckie.
Miniature versions of the designs were unveiled at the local Tesco store at the weekend to gather feedback from residents before the winning option is chosen.
The supermarket funded the design and creation of the sculpture as part of planning conditions attached when it built the shop.
The chosen entry will be put up on grass land at the roundabout entrance to Buckie opposite the store.
Carn Standing’s Buckie’s Darling deer design has drawn inspiration from the unification of small villages into the larger town that is recognised today.
Maggie Clyde’s Buckie in Steel feature, which will be made up of five free-standing steel panels, aims to communicate aspects of the town’s past, present and future.
Meanwhile, Emma Crawford’s Fishing for Flowers shows the warm welcome offered by locals by intertwining the national flowers from Scotland, Norway and Denmark.
Buckie councillor Gordon Cowie said: “It’s interesting to see that three very different designs have been submitted but they have each got their associations with the town.
“It’s going to be very interesting to see what the public goes for from them.”
Buckie councillor Sonya Warren added: “They’re all very distinctive, which is what you want when you’re driving into a place possibly for the first time.
“There’s a fantastic variety amongst them so it will be interesting to see the comments about each of them.”
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The miniature statues will be on display at the Tesco store in Buckie until July 13. Views can be submitted about the designs in the supermarket or through Moray Council’s website until that date.
A judging panel comprising the three Buckie councillors, Tesco’s community champion, an independent artist and Moray Council officers will consider the views when choosing the winning design before the end of July.
