Sand sculptures create an outdoor art gallery

Whiting Bay beach was transformed into an outdoor art gallery last week as 17 families put their sand sculpting skills to the test at the annual Whiting Bay beach sculpture competition.

One of the many exciting activities on offer during Whiting Bay Fun Week, the well-attended event is sponsored by Nick Giles of the Arran Art Gallery and judged by renowned sculptor Tim Pomeroy.

Filling almost the entire beach, children, parents, friends and families brought out the buckets and spades and created works of art which were decorated with sea shells, seaweed and beach stones.

Many created marine themed sculptures based on mermaids, octopi, jellyfish, crabs and turtles while others opted for more exot- ic animals with a large elephant and a dragon featured among the entries.

Others allowed their creative talents to take them elsewhere which resulted in some unique entries including an Egyptian landscape, complete with sphinx and pyramids, a circus tent, a golf course with attached football field, and a large pie.

Regular competitors at the event, the Banana Boys – in a huge earthmoving operation – created a large relief of Arran and then set about adding incredible detail. Starting with Holy Isle, Ailsa Craig and Pladda, they then created mountainous peaks in the north with Goatfell prominently featured. Green seaweed decorated the forested area and stones made up the String and Boguille roads.

Unsurprisingly elongated beach pebbles were used to create the Machrie Moor standing stones and beach gravel topped the mountains.

Nearer to the jetty where the sand was wetter, team Dumbo also created a large sculpture, an elephant which appeared to rise out of the sea sand and which was large enough for children to climb atop.

After a difficult deliberation period the elaborately carved dragon by the McNamara family took the family award while in the children’s category Sophie Macfarlane impressed with her masterpiece which was a bulbous mother whale with smaller baby whales swimming around it.

After a short prizegiving ceremony by members of Arran Visual Arts, the tired families who had enjoyed an afternoon of playing in the sun, sea and sand, and filled with food from the burger and hot dog tent, retired back home.

❚ See next week’s Banner for a final round-up of the Whiting Bay Fun Week.

01_b30beach03 Winners in the family category were the McNamara family with their dragon creation.

01_B30beach05 The Gow family return to Whiting Bay where they met in 1994. Now with a family of their own, they still regularly visit Arran where their families have holidayed for more than 100 years.

01_B30beach06 Team Sharks with their Plastic Bag Jellyfish sculpture.

01_B30beach08 Highly commended by the judge, team Banana Boys created a relief of Arran complete with satellite islands, golf courses, the String and Boguille roads and Machrie standing stones.

01_B30beach10 Team Mermacorn with their mermaid and unicorn hybrid sculpture.