It was a tribute to Scotland’s greatest poet once discovered discarded in a lowly compost heap in the South African city of Durban. Now, a rare surviving cast-iron statue of Robert Burns is taking pride of place in Stirling, almost three-quarters of a century since its recovery. The artwork has now been showcased at the Engine Shed - Scotland’s dedicated building conservation centre in Stirling.
And it will be available for the public to view as part of the venue’s Doors Open Days weekend on September 21-22. The statue, which was designed by eminent sculptor David Watson Stevenson, had originally been exhibited in Cape Town before being lost. It was later rediscovered under a compost heap in a garden in Durban in 1950 and subsequently remained in South Africa until it was bought by Paul and Alexandra Morris in 2013, with the couple organising for the statue to be shipped back to Scotland.
Speaking of the decision to donate the statue to Historic Environment Scotland (HES), MS Morris said: “We wanted to find a safe secure home for the statue and after seeing how beautifully Rabbie was curated at the Engine Shed, we are delighted with our decision.” The statue was originally cast at the famous McFarlane’s Foundry in Saracen, Glasgow, before the First World War. Many of the works produced by the Saracen Foundry have been considered of major historical importance, HES said.
The creation underwent extensive restoration before going on display in Stirling. After leaving.