The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
From a proud king to the waggiest tale in town
First a magnificent carved statue of Robert the Bruce, then fun judging dogs at Scone Palace, Fiona’s having an interesting time
From Aberdeen to Annan, there is no shortage of Robert the Bruce statues here in Scotland. And now there is another to add to the list. It is in Dumfries and is magnificently carved by a chap called “chainsaw Pete”.
Pete Bowsher is a Canadian forester who moved to Moffat. He is a regular winner at the Scottish Open Carving Championships and only last week was demonstrating his skill at the Highland Show at Ingliston.
The King of Scots is crafted from red cedar – and now sits in splendour on a sandstone plinth in a Dumfries park. From the curves on the cloak to the hairs on the beard, it is a masterpiece.
As Lord Lieutenant I was lucky enough to be there at the unveiling. It was such an honour. For Bruce’s links to the south-west of the country are welldocumented.
Dumfries and Galloway was key to Bruce’s attempts to gain the Scottish throne. The seventh Lord of Annandale had a castle in Lochmaben and another in Annan. And, of course, it was in a Dumfries church that he killed his rival on his way to power. It was most certainly from this part of Scotland that Robert the Bruce set out on his Wars of Independence. With him was a trusty band of followers – and an especially loyal companion.
Donnchadh was a type of bloodhound. He was a dog who was rumoured to have saved his master from death on more than one occasion.
Ah, our canine friends. Where we would be without them? Tomorrow the chief and I are putting the MacNaughties in the car and taking them to Scone Palace. It is a doggie fun day. Paws at the Palace promises to be a pleasure park for the wet-nosed and saucer-eyed. We are helping to judge in the fun section. Cutest puppy dog. Waggiest tail. Most beautiful eyes. Hound most like their owner… and that is the one that really intrigues. Because, more often than not, dogs do resemble the folk they belong to.
See a bulldog sitting on the pavement – and it will most certainly be found with a man with a cross-looking face.
Watch a groomed bichon frise trotting along the street and you know it will belong to a glamorous lady with a big handbag. The MacGregor has a spaniel. Barra has soulful eyes and a handsome face, so they are well matched.
I, meanwhile, have a Norfolk terrier. He is a character and feisty – so perhaps not quite right with that one...
But what makes a person pick a pooch that resembles them?
The answer could be simple. The experts tell us the average hound now outlives the average marriage.
May the latest Robert the Bruce statue last a bit longer than that.
It is food for thought. But don’t think too much.