Businesswoman fears opposition to public art could thwart project

A LOCAL businesswoman has hit out at opponents of a plan to install sculptures at two tourist hotspots in Caithness.

Tina Irving, who operates Brough Bay Ltd which helps promote the far north of Scotland, took issue with remarks made at last week’s meeting of Dunnet and Canisbay Community Council.

She claimed the organisation was "not representative of the area it covers" and "only listens to people they agree with."

"I did not go to the meeting because I knew my views would not be taken into account," said Ms Irving.

She spoke out after the community council criticised the designs, how they were selected and the lack of consultation over the proposals.

As a result Highland Council – which is behind the £50,000 proposal to erect the sculptures near the Seadrift Centre at Dunnet Beach and the viewpoint at Dunnet Head – has agreed to rethink the project.

Ms Irving, secretary of Dunnet Head Educational Trust, told the Caithness Courier yesterday she felt the claim about the lack of consultation was "not entirely true."

She was asked for input by one of the artists as the trust holds information about the area and World War Two installations.

"I am also aware that Drew Gutteridge, a local expert on WWII installations in Caithness, was also consulted.

"In addition, the proposal to install sculptures was well advertised in the local press and elsewhere some time ago," said Ms Irvine, who is concerned the far north could lose the funding if agreement is not reached before the end of the current financial year. If the money is not spent by the end of March, then it could go back in the Highland Council pot and be lost to the area. That is standard procedure," she said.

Asked what she thought about the proposed sculptures, Ms Irving – who stressed she had only seen the photos – described them as "quite nice.

"I think they were representative of the area and appropriate for these settings," she added.

As reported in Friday’s John O’Groat Journal, a plan to put up the sculptures was put on hold following the opposition from the community council and members of the public.

Anne Cowling, the council’s landscape officer, said the scheme was designed to improve access to the sites and make them more attractive to visitors and locals.

Artists were invited to come up with suggestions for the sculptures and a shortlist was drawn up.

Ms Cowling said the Dunnet Beach sculpture would be placed at either side of the path to the beach near the Millennium Dyke. The proposals included designs featuring whale jaw and skull bones with inset mosaics while the choices at the Dunnet Head viewpoint included a bronze sculpture and a radar sculpture or a radar sculpture with gulls wings.

But members were unimpressed by the proposed sculptures and felt they were unsuitable for the area.

Local artist Joanne Kaar believed more time should be taken to make a decision as both projects are at what she described as "iconic places."

Brough resident David Glass claimed the vast majority of people were unaware of the plan but felt they would not be in favour of the proposed sculptures if consulted.

Ms Cowling said he apologised on behalf of the council if the designs were not what the community wanted and said she would report back to the local authority that no agreement has been reached on the designs.