An Eccentric Vision

An Eccentric Vision. William Wallace Statue. , , An eccentric vision , , Along this path a dramatic statue of William Wallace gazes out across the Tweed. This is just one of a number of features in the area built by David Stuart Erskine, the 11th Earl of Buchan: if you continue down the hill you can find another, the enchanting Temple of the Muses. The path to the statue is about on third a mile, (ten to fifteen minutes' walk) with a good surface all the way. , , The Earl was a vain, eccentric man, but he was passionate about conserving and recording anything to do with Scotland and its heroes. He was fascinated by the Greek mythology too, and once held a party in his drawing room where he dressed up as the god of Apollo on Mount Parnassus, with nine maidens to play the part of the Muses in attendance. , , He commissioned local sculptor John Smith of Darrick to carve the statue, which was unveiled in 1814 on 22 September: the anniversary of Wallace's great victory at the battle of Stirling Bridge in 1297. It seems to be the earliest monument to Wallace, that legendary symbol of Scottish patriotism.