Eilish is in line for big tribute as Eilidh mural clears hurdle

Campaign to honour sporting greats in spectacular style and raise the profile of track and field

Scottish Athletics has revealed plans to create a huge mural of Olympian Eilish McColgan in her home city of Dundee.

The government body is searching for a suitable building for the artwork, which is part of a new campaign to immortalise Scotland’s sporting heroes and inspire a new generation of athletes.

Plans for Dundee were announced as the first stage of the project – a vast portrait of Eilidh Doyle in Perth – cleared a planning hurdle.

Eilidh, the most decorated Scottish track and field athlete, will be depicted in a three-storey mural on the corner of High Street and Caledonian Road.

The mural is to be painted by street art specialists Art Pistol Projects, who have worked with spray paint technician Rogue One in Glasgow.

The project has been given the green light by Perth and Kinross Council.

Eilidh, a one-time Fair City PE teacher, said: “It is such an honour for me and it will be amazing, if not slightly surreal, to see it finished.”

She added: “Throughout my career, the city and people have always showed a great deal of support and encouragement, and the fact Perth and Kinross Council have helped back this mural just adds to that ongoing support and recognition.”

Eilidh added: “This mural will not only be a fantastic moment for myself, but I think it will help to raise the profile of athletes in Scotland, which is in such a brilliant place at the moment.

“We have so many incredible athletes performing on the world stage that hopefully this mural will be the first of many that celebrates that success.”

Scottish Athletics said detailed plans for the Eilish McColgan project will be unveiled soon, with more athlete artwork planned for other cities in the run-up to the 2020 Olympics.

The Dundee-born runner ran at the 2012 and 2016 games. The daughter of gold medal winner Liz McColgan, she was raised and trained in Dundee.

Eilidh also represented GB at the 2012 and 2016 Olympics. The threetime Commonwealth silver medallist, who went to school in Kinross, is the Scottish holder for the 400m hurdle and the indoor 400m, and was European champion in 2014 for the 400m hurdles.