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Part of Art, Space & Nature, at COAST festival 2010 Three circular assemblages of neatly arranged bundles of cut grass, on the lawn in front of the castle. Patrick Gordon's Cairn An elegant elongated cone shaped cairn with in-curved sides in coursed dry stone, without any interpretative sign. It is on the lands of Auchleuchries that Patrick Gordon belonged to. Percylieu Stone Pictish class 1 stone with part of a Salmon and Horseshoe symbols. Performance by Peter & Rossi at COAST festival 2010 site specific installation and performance piece with an inflatable and pointy red hats, by Ruby Pestor and Nadia Roster Persephone Sculpted millstone grit figure of Persephone, the goddess of the underworld in Greek mythology (abducted by Hades and having to remain with him half of every year because she ate six pomegranate seeds the pomegranate can be seen in the statue's right hand), she is holding a mirror similar to that on the nearby Maiden Stone. Peterhead Pends As part of an attempt to regenerate the area and preserve the historic associations of the pends and closes running back from the street they were given these canopies with cut metal signs, 1: Smithy Close: named after a smiddy that was there in the 19th and early 20th century, the canopy depicts a Clydesdale horse and a representation of show harness is inset into the close threshold stone. In the comparatively short period of its ascendancy, between the period of the ox plough and the tractor, the horse had a huge impact on local culture (reaching its apotheosis in the magico/religious elements of the "Horseman's Word" secret societies) and still exerts an influence although it has gone from most people's everyday life. 2: Proclamation Pend: Shortly after the beginning of the 1715 Jacobite Rebellion, George Keith, 9th Earl Marischal of Scotland, read out a proclamation, at the nearby Peterhead Tolbooth, stating that James Stuart (father of Bonnie Prince Charlie), was the rightful King of Britain. The Earl was accompanied by his younger brother James Keith, later to become a field marshal in Frederick the Great's Prussian army. James Stuart landed at Peterhead from France on the 22nd of December 1715 and stayed overnight before proceeding South. He returned to France in February 1716 after the failure of the rising. The canopy shows three figures at the reading of the proclamation and the Keith clan crest is inset into the threshold. 3: Tolbooth Close: named after the Tolbooth which was nearby on the site of the present Townhouse. The Tolbooth was the centre of administration, justice and ceremonial life, where tolls and customs were collected. It was also used for meetings of the burgh council and court and as a prison for remanded criminal suspects and debtors.The original Peterhead Tolbooth was erected in the Longate toward the end of the 16th century, a new one was built in the Broadgate in the 1660s, this was demolished in 1786 and the present Townhouse erected in 1788. The canopy shows a prisoner behind bars and a representation of a James VI eight penny peice is inset into the threshold. 4: Empress Close: named after the Empress Ballroom which occupied the ground floor of the Music Hall that once stood here, the canopy shows a dancing couple, dance step patterns are inset into the threshold. 5: Drummer's Close: named after Drummer's Corner which was situated at the other side of Marischal Street. Woollen mill worker James Milne was an army drummer in the Crimean War (1853-56) he returned to Peterhead and kept a small shop, at the corner of Marischal Street and Albion Street, as well as being the town drummer, his premises became known as 'Drummer's Corner', the canopy shows a drummer with a series of pipe band drummers inset into the threshold. Peterhead video piece The artist (Dutch film maker, Jean Bei Ning) filmed local residents walking in front of a mobile blue screen. This footage was then mounted into slides showing landmarks in Tibet, Africa, Scotland, Thailand, Syria and Indonesia. This created the effect that local people were travelling in 'other worlds'. The artist also produced a sound piece located elsewhere in the town consisting of stories recorded in interviews with local people. Peterhead War Memorial It is a tall rectangular obilisk with an unusual decorated top. The name plaques are near the base of the sides within egg & dart borders, each surmounted by a wreath. Above the wreath on one face is a cross. The obilisk stands on a slightly splayed base on top of a three-step base. It was unveiled 6 August 1922 and handed over to the Town Council on August 6 1923. The World War II memorial forms the gate piers in to the churchyard. They are squat rectangular pillars with the coats-of-arms of the different services and regiments as well as the names. Inside the churchyard is another memorial to the men buried in the churchyard and three other war graves. Peterhead, Late Victorian Datestone One of several ornate carved 19th century datestones on buildings in the town centre. The pink Peterhead granite is the towns signature material. The metal spikes are an attempt to limit nesting places for the Herring Gulls that throng this fishing port in huge numbers. Picardy Stone, Myreton Class 1 Grey Whinstone Pictish Symbol Stone, 201cm x 102cm x 60cm. Three carved symbols on the south face, from top: Double Disc and Z-rod; Snake and Z-rod and a mirror. The stone stands on its original site, a low cairn, which is in a fenced enclosure, in front of the stone was a grave, this association makes this stone important to those who support the theory of symbol stones as memorials to dead individuals. Pies for parking An example of that much favoured genre of vandalistic intervention that involves removing or adding to official signage text to say something more amusing or profound, in this case with a certain wit. Pithie memorial sundial A sandstone sundial on a square section pillar with chamfered corners mounted on cuboid pedestal. There are words carved around the edge that indicate it is a memorial to '??thie born 8th June 1836'. Below there are words but they are not readable On the back there is 'A Pithie' then 'born', the next bit has gone but the year seems to be 1812. The base is inscribed "W. Pithie mason 1857" Plague Stones - Gravestones Near to plague burial-ground; plague or victims were interred not here but in a nearby hollow to the south east of Victoria Street, at a site known as The Maltman's How. The site is now occupied by modern buildings and gardens. Two gravestones were found about 1842 (which had lain on a what at that time was a piece of waste ground, they were then erected against a bank on the left of the path opposite the Bog Well ) and are now set into the E wall of a public footpath at NO 8741 8552. Stone to N dated 1608 with death's head and shield incorporating 'MT' monogram, reading 'Heir lyes ane honest man, Magnvs Tailiovr, seyman, qvha depairtit in November, (in the time of) pest 1608'. Stone to S dated 1648 and reading 'Heir lyes ane Honest mans bairns Alexander and William Brokie, sones lawful to Alexander Brokie, who departet the 12 of Jwnie, of the age of tvalf and nyn yeirs old, in ano 1648'. Plaque datestone on the Salmon House Portsoy A carved painted datestone with a relief carved cock salmon between figures 18 and 34 within plain raised border with angle fluted 'fan' motif. The salmon is somehow more 'cuddly' than most representations of this popular subject play group mural at Inverbervie A simply painted mural in the orthodox 'for children' style. Portsoy Harbour depth indicator Numerals carved in nicely dressed blocks to indicate depth, they appear to change from Arabic to Roman between 9 and X, presumably to maximise clarity. See the external link to RCAHMS for aerial views etc. Portsoy War Memorial A war memorial of the common 'praying soldier' type. In this case the statue is on top of a tall carved plinth set on a two step base of roughly dressed granite. It is surmounted by a kilted soldier with Glengarry, standing head bowed holding an inverted rifle. It commemorates the dead of both World War I & II. Below the main inscription on the front is a carved wreath. The memorial is surrounded by a small wrought-iron enclosure.It was unveiled 11 November 1923. Portsoy Wheat Sheaf and Anchor Assemblage of a painted welded metal representation of a wheat sheaf and anchor with planters on a concrete base beside the main road. The plaque reads "Wheat sheaf & fishermans anchor - sculptured by John McGrath, Sandend - Gifted to the people of Portsoy October 2008 Possible Hindu Sculpture Built into house wall above entrance door on east side of street. A small stone carving showing two female and one male nude figures. This is a small sculpture about a foot across and set quite high up. The female figure on the left has suffered some unfortunate censorship (unintentional I hope) by cement render. It is thought that the owner of the house at the time travelled widely and some are of the opinion that it may in fact be a piece of Indian Hindu sculpture brought back to Banff in the 18th century. Indeed now we have a higher resolution image I have no doubt that this work is Indian in origin: the details of jewellery, body ornaments and coiffure also the voluptuous female figures, the poses and the style of the columns all suggest an erotic temple sculpture. It also appears to be of great age. Perhaps of medieval or even earlier date it is certainly not a piece of pre-reformation European religious art. Postman Pat, fishing boat decoration Postman pat and his cat Jess painted on the bow of fishing boat Pleiades BF155 photographed in Fraserburgh Post-Modern Finn MacOull An example of Frank Bruce's smaller scale work in wood Prince Albert Cairn A monumental pyramid of cut granite stones Prince Arthur's cairn A cone of coursed rubble Prince Leopold's Cairn A stout cone of coursed granite rubble Princess Alice's cairn A cone of coursed rubble. The inscriptio reads: Prince Louis of Hesse D'Armstadj - The Princess Alice of England - Married 1st July 1862 Princess Beatrice's cairn A cone of coursed granite rubble Princess Helena's cairn A cone of coursed granite rubble Princess Louise's cairn Cone of coursed granite rubble. The inscription reads: HRH the Princess Louise of England- The most noble The Marquis of Lorne-Married the 21st March 1871 Princess Royal's cairn A four sided obelisk of roughly dressed granite stones surmounted by an orb Prop of Ythsie A bit of an ugly and intimidating monument to the hereditary principle and the divine right of the aristocracy/rich to rule the rest of us for their own advantage, however it is worth the climb up both the hill and the stairs for the view toward Bennachie. Erected to the memory of the Prime Minister the Fourth Earl of Aberdeen. A square tower of coursed red granite with dressed quoins and a corbelled and crenellated parapet. The lower stage is steeply battered. SMR Puffin carving A largish wooden carving of a puffin Purchase Cairn Cone of coursed granite rubble
