Some friends had invited us to stay in Strathaven ( pronounced “Strayven” ) overnight, so Tina and I set off on the journey from the West coast, driving over the South Lanarkshire hills on the Roman Road, A71 from Edinburgh to Kilmarnock
As we were driving past Loudoun Hill, we decided to make a detour because we were a bit ahead of schedule.
Tina and I followed the signs around the hillside and were blown away by the statue and surrounding countryside with it’s lovely wild flowers.
It never ceases to amaze me how much history and beauty is hidden in every nook and cranny on Earth if you only stop awhile to explore.
Loudoun Hill is famous for the battles that took place there.
In 1296/7 William Wallace allegedly fought a battle here and 1307, Robert the Bruce defeated English forces by using the boggy area round the hill to his advantage.
Three centuries later, in 1679, the Covenanters held an outdoor religious service here, which was broken up by John Graham in a skermish later named The Battle of Drumlog.
The “Spirit of Scotland” statue honours the first two of these. Commissioned by the Irvine Valley Regeneration Partnership and designed by local artist Richard Price and his friends Robert and Sam Orr, and placed on the site in 2004, the 5 metre high statue frames Louden HIll beautifully.
On the main side is inscribed “Thou saw’s the strong arm of a Wallace raised to stem the tide of alien tyranny.”
On the side facing Loudoun Hill – “The Knight Fenwick cruel was and keen he had at death of Wallace’s father been.”
Both from the Scottish poet Blind Harry’s 15th Century epic poem ‘The Wallace.’
On the inner arch – “ At Wallace nam what Scottish blood but boils up in a spring tide flood.” from ‘Epistle to William Simpson’ a 1985 poem by Robert Burns.
I wondered how many people had posed by this statue, and decided to be one of them!!
