The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Russell Crowe digs deep for Stirlingshire village
HOLLYWOOD hard man Russell Crowe has dug into his own pocket to repair a battering ram he donated to a Scottish medieval village.
The Gladiator star was furious in September when thieves made off with eight metal shields from the ram, nicknamed Rosie, at Duncarron in Stirlingshire.
Crowe gifted the visitor attraction the movie prop — worth around £60,000 — from his 2010 hit film Robin Hood.
It has now emerged that he shelled out around £800 to replace the shields after a police investigation failed to recover them.
The theft happened just a month after the ram was installed and it is thought the shields may have been stolen to sell to movie buffs.
The Clanranald Trust charity, which runs the village, revealed: “As most of you know, our battering ram Rosie had eight of her roof shields stolen this summer and the police have had no luck finding them or the culprits.
“Today we have had the most wonderful news: Mr Russell Crowe has contacted the company that built her and has bought us eight new shields for her roof. Thank you Russell!”
Rosie’s starring role in Robin Hood came in a scene where Richard the Lionheart’s army stormed a castle.
Thieves managed to storm Duncarron on September 7, somehow scaling sevenmetre earth ramparts and fortifications.
Crowe called Duncarron a few days later to express his “sadness” at the theft.
Malin Heen-Allan, site manager at Duncarron, said at the time: “Russell thought it was really upsetting. It was gifted to us because we would use it for education.”
And Tony Pollard, of Glasgow University’s Centre for Battlefield Archaeology, said: “The guys at Duncarron have put blood, sweat and tears into that place and to see their efforts disrespected like this is terrible.
Crowe is friends with Clanranald Trust CEO Charlie Allan, after the pair met on the set of Gladiator.
The trust also provides performers for medieval fighting scenes and film work.