Bench built as memorial to rock star provides mental health support to fans
BUILT in the late 18th century, Haining House, with its grand triple arched entrance, occupies a delightful position in the heart of its 61-acre Selkirk estate.
At the side of one path, however, overlooking the calm loch and overshadowed by towering oak trees, is a touching and very different modern memorial – one that is having a powerful impact on those who make the pilgrimage to visit.
Erected on a stormy November evening last year, a curved bench supported by oak logs from trees felled on The Haining estate and dedicated to former Frightened Rabbit frontman Scott Hutchison has become a focal point for fans, some of whom travel hundreds of miles to pay their respects.
Once there, some say they experience particularly emotional responses to the bench and what it signifies: some leave trinkets and tributes behind, others have left uplifting notes and gifts for fellow fans.
In at least one case, the bench has prompted a wedding proposal, while more than a few fans, particularly those familiar with the challenges of mental health, have told of finding unexpected comfort and feeling a deeply spiritual connection to the singer and chief songwriter of the indie-rock band, who took his own life four years ago this week at the age of 36.
After years grappling with depression, he left two disturbing posts on Twitter, before leaving the hotel in South Queensferry, near Edinburgh, where he had been staying in the early hours of May 9, 2018.
There followed a frantic search of the area before his body was found the following evening – echoing one of the band’s most emotionally charged songs, Floating In The Forth, which documents the struggle between thoughts of suicide and staying alive.
Devastated fans of the band later raised money in his memory for a memorial bench in Kelvingrove Park, Glasgow, and a donation to the Scottish Association for Mental Health.
With a small sum leftover, the idea developed to create a more personal and bespoke bench, at a spot particularly attached to the singer.
It led Frightened Rabbit fan Abe Cartwright, who was instrumental in organising fundraising for the original bench, to Selkirk, where Scott was raised, and to the Haining estate, a place where he visited and where his family and friends had held a memorial gathering.
Having received support from the charitable trust that now runs the house and estate as a community venue and arts centre, the design and creation of the bench took shape.
Far from the standard memorial benches found in parks across the land, it is a unique tribute to the performer with its own touching story.
Designed and built by three young carpenters from the Borders town, it is inscribed with the words “While I’m alive, I’ll make tiny changes to earth,” a lyric from Frightened Rabbit’s song Head Roll Off, and features a curved seat supported by a pile of oak logs, reflecting another song, The Woodpile.
The bench, positioned in a delightful spot overlooking the loch, also features the band’s distinctive cross-like symbol.
It was unveiled at a gathering that included Scott’s family and close friends. However, recent weeks have seen rising numbers from further afield make the pilgrimage to the spot to pay their respects.
Mr Cartwright said the combination of the bench, the beauty of the location and Scott’s memory often have a powerful impact on visitors, with many talking of it being a particularly emotional but uplifting experience.
He said: “The bench and the location are beautiful. We know it was a special place for Scott. It’s now a special place for all the Frightened Rabbit fans around the world who want to see it. There has been amazing feedback from people who talk about it being a very emotional and powerful place to visit.”
The creation of the bench also had an impact on the female carpenters who worked on it.
KJ Marquiss, who knew Scott from working in the music industry, had turned to woodwork to help with her own mental health when she heard of Mr Cartwright’s hopes to make a bespoke bench.
“I didn’t really have the skills, or know how I would manage to build it but I was pretty determined that this was something I could do for Scott,” she said.
She said the bench is designed to echo the lyrics – keeping those who sit in it “safe from the surrounding world”.
It’s now a special place for all the Frightened Rabbit fans around the world who want to see it