The Wallace Statue

Sir William Wallace (1270 - 1305) was a Scottish Knight and leading player in the Wars of Scottish Independence. For a short while he served as Guardian of the Kingdom of Scotland (de facto King during the second interregnum). More than that, he has become a totemic figure for Scottish Nationalism and culture, an influence that has long outlasted all of his Medieval contemporaries, many of whom are regarded as better military strategists. As a warrior against English oppression he spent a lot of time in the Borderlands, indeed he was formally named Guardian at the Kirk o’ the (Ettrick) Forest in Selkirk. An important point about Wallace is that distinguishing fact from myth can be a tricky business, even before we get to Mel Gibson’s bombastic, bloody blockbuster ‘Braveheart’. All of this together leads to a fascinating figure in our Scottish psyche. He has a national memorial at Stirling, which is well worth a visit, the views to The Ochill Hills are worth the admission alone. Did you know however that a significant memorial to Wallace also exists in the heart of The Borders?

The Wallace Statue is located on the minor road between Dryburgh and Bemersyde, on a steep hill embankment looking toward Eildon Hill . A wee car park is the starting point to a 5 minute walk through lovely, mature woodland towards this physically imposing red sandstone statue, measuring nearly 10 metres in height. The statue was built in 1814, local mason/sculptor John Smith from Darnick crafted it, working very much under the instruction of David Stuart Erskine, 11th Earl of Buchan. The Erskine family were gifted Dryburgh Abbey and much of the valuable surrounding land after the demise of the great Border Abbeys post reformation (1560’s). The rich, frankly, have always looked after each other. Anyway, the 11th Earl had become obsessed by the great heroic figures of Scotland’s past and it was he who ordered this statue be built. Now, I must level with you - I think it’s a very ugly, crude statue with some bizarre flourishes. The Border historian Alistair Moffat suggests Wallace’s iron helmet is more Wehrmacht than Medieval Scotland (“To the Island of Tides” 2019). I’d take the Germanic comparison even further - the wings inexplicably attached to the helmet put me in mind of Wagner’s Valkaryies and, if you squint a bit, I see shades of Brian Blessed’s Prince Vultan from Flash Gordon. You know the one, “Gordon’s Alive!!” The face is odd, more wabbit than warlike. The statue therefore in my view is more historical curio, than great work of art. I hope my own distaste for the sculpture itself doesn’t put you off visiting - the grounds are extremely well tended by The William Wallace Trust who look after the statue and surrounding woodland, along with the landowner. For years the statue was in danger of being lost among vegetation, certainly not the case now - you can now clearly see the statue from some miles away on the A68 Newtown bypass. So credit must go to The Trust and figurehead Trustee Jesse Rae, local funk musician, would be MP and one of the great characters of the Borders. Nor do I deny the worthiness of a monument to Wallace, a towering figure in Scottish history and most definitely someone very active in the Borders. So do go and see, and put a wee donation in the box, for although Erskine’s statue is far from my taste, I’m very glad it’s there to offer another nugget of interest in this beautiful landscape, and equally glad that people are dedicating time to making it accessible so that you can make your own mind up.