Work at last on Bard shrine
Conservators are beginning on a £ 470,000 operation to save the national Burns Monument.
It should be back to its former glory by the end of the year.
Last year the Burns aristocracy in Alloway lined up to savage new custodians the National Trust for Scotland for the lack of any action on the ground.
The decrepit 200- year- old shrine leaks water and its sorry state was being seen by visitors from all over the world.
A row blew up in August after the Ayrshire Post revealed former trustees and senior Burns figures had enough of the inaction on the 70- foot edifice.
They feared cottages worth £ 600,000 and £ 135,000 in cash handed over to the NTS seven years ago by the Burns Monument Trustees had not been ring- fenced for restoration work.
John Skilling, past president of the Robert Burns World Federation and Alloway Burns Club, said last year: “In six years we have had promises quarter by quarter and it was supposed to have been finished this July.”
But Stuart Maxwell, the NTS supremo in Ayrshire, hit back and said our story was “ill- informed”.
He said: “We take our responsibilities in caring for the legacy of Burns very seriously.
“Our aim is to restore the structure to the condition it was in when it was completed almost exactly 200 years ago.
“This means we need people with specialist skills and very careful investigation, preparation and planning to ensure that we do not damage or otherwise compromise the delicate structure of this historic building.”
On Monday Stuart said: “Work is well underway to repair the Burns Monument after months of careful preparation and investigation. At the moment decades of historic paint are being removed from the interior.
“Once this is done there will be a whole programme of grouting, stonework, leadwork, drainage repairs and genera l decoration work.
“We know how important it is to protect this monument and what it means to the local community and Burns fans from far and wide. We are very grateful to everyone who has supported our fundraising efforts and made this vital conservation work possible.”
Paint from the stone dome has flaked off due to years of water penetration, two radiators have rusted and the signature circular table has warped.
MSP John Scott, who originally exposed the lack of any action, this week welcomed the scaffolding going up and the contractors in place.
He said: “This was much needed and was a long time coming.
“I very much welcome work starting in what is an exciting restoration.
“The monument will now be a fitting memorial to the Bard and be enjoyed by visitors from all over the globe.”