Bid to replace Barra's crumbling 1970s sculpture

A statue dedicated to a 6th Century Irish saint who was the inspiration for a Scottish island's name could be replaced at a cost of £100,000.

The sculpture of St Barr was erected in the Northbay area of Barra in the Western Isles in the 1970s.

It was created by local artist Margaret Somerville, who died in 2018, and over the years its moulded concrete has crumbled away to expose the metal frame underneath.

The Saint Barr Statue Fundraising Group has raised £10,000 so far to pay for a replica to made from hard-wearing bronze and on a larger scale than the original.

In Gaelic, Barra is Barraigh which translates as Barr’s Island.

The fundraising group's Michael MacNeil said: “For almost 50 years, the statue has been a symbol of our island and its rich heritage.

"It would be a huge loss if St Barr was to crumble into the sea completely without any effort to preserve Margaret’s work and her gift to the community."

He added: "This project will see the statue recreated in a material that will withstand the worst of Hebridean weather and cope with its exposed seashore location.”

The new sculpture is to be 50% larger than the original.

Crown Estates Scotland has donated £10,000 to the project.

Theresa Irving, of Northbay Community Council and member of the fundraising group, said: "We know this is an ambitious campaign, but we are confident that islanders at home and away and those who visit will back it so that our saint remains in place.”

St Barr has long been commemorated on Barra and has associations with other parts of Scotland.