Planning consent for Barra's new St Barr statue

Comhairle nan Eilean Siar has granted planning permission for a replacement statue of Barra's St Barr sculpture.

Dedicated to a 6th Century Irish saint who was the inspiration for the island's name, the original statue was erected in the Northbay area in the 1970s.

It was created by local artist Margaret Somerville, who died in 2018, and over the years its moulded concrete has crumbled away to expose the metal frame underneath.

The Saint Barr Statue Fundraising Group has raised more than £100,000 towards the cost of the replacement.

The replacement will be cast in bronze and formed from moulds taken from the original.

The new statue, commissioned from artist Stephen Tinney, is being produced by Black Isle Bronze in Nairn.

The work is due for completion in July before being taken to Barra in mid-August.

Documents submitted with the planning application confirm the new statue will be installed on the existing plinth, which is to be reinforced and extended to take the weight of the 500kg sculpture.

Northbay Community Council and St Barr's Parish have agreed to take responsibility for ongoing maintenance, including visual checks, with stewardship of the site carried out by local partners, including St Barr's Church and the wider community.

A story by local democracy reporter Peter Urpeth.