A new monument is in the works for Stirling. When complete, visitors will see a massive depiction of William Wallace and his lesser-known counterpart Andrew Murray, the victors of Stirling Bridge.
The steel artwork will measure over 26 ft high and cost roughly £150,000.
The sculptor is Malcolm Robertson, an award-winning artist who beat out a half dozen others in a competition sponsored by the Guardians of Scotland Trust. Founded in 2011, the Trust exists explicitly to educate the public about William Wallace and Andrew Murray, as well as erect monuments to them.
There is no doubt that this monument will have an enormous impact on visitors to Stirling Bridge who now only have a post-medieval bridge and the massive Wallace Monument available for interpretation. The new monument will force visitors to see both Wallace and Murray, the latter of which has been shirked by history. Braveheart, the public’s most accessible source of information on Stirling, makes no mention of Murray.
The rejected design for the Wallace Monument depicting the Scot wrestling a lion immediately comes to mind. However, none of the alternative designs are nearly as flamboyant.
The most striking is David Annand’s depiction of one Scottish commander comforting another. Although these are two nameless Scots and the design would have done little to further public interest in Andrew Murray.
There is no information on when the monument goes live, but the Guardians of Scotland Trust is accepting donations.