Edinburgh, Regent Road Park, Stones Of Scotland

The Public Monuments and Sculpture Association (http://www.pmsa.org.uk/) set up a National Recording Project in 1997 with the aim of making a survey of public monuments and sculpture in Britain ranging from medieval monuments to the most contemporary works. Information from the Edinburgh project was added to the RCAHMS database in October 2010 and again in 2012.

The PMSA (Public Monuments and Sculpture Association) Edinburgh Sculpture Project has been supported by Eastern Photocolour, Edinburgh College of Art, the Edinburgh World Heritage Trust, Historic Scotland, the Hope Scott Trust, The Old Edinburgh Club, the Pilgrim Trust, the RCAHMS, and the Scottish Archive Network.

Circle of 32 stone slabs / rocks, one from each of Scotland's local authorities, set in a circle of white stone chippings. Whole surrounded by thin metal bar on circle of cobbles. Within the circle are set square and rectangular stone flags separated by thin strips of grass; one raised slab near centre. Larger grass area with small Scots pine at centre and stone. Each stone in circle labelled. Metal label, incised lettering painted black.

North entrance to circle moving clockwise, each piece of stone has label of

origin, metal, incised lettering painted black (upper and lower case).

Shetland, Orkney, Highland, Moray, Aberdeenshire, City of Aberdeen, Angus, Perth and Kinross, City of Dundee, Fife, Clackmannan, Falkirk, City of Edinburgh, East Lothian, Midlothian, West Lothian, Scottish Borders, Dumfries and Galloway, South Ayrshire, East Ayrshire, North Ayrshire, South Lanarkshire, North Lanarkshire, City of Glasgow, East Renfrewshire, Renfrewshire, Innerclyde, East Dumbartonshire, West Dumbartonshire, Stirling, Argyll and Bute, Western Isles.

George Wyllie laid the first stone on 22 December 2000 in preparation for a footprint to be carved on it. At that time the Scottish Arts Council had granted £25,000, but planning permission from Edinburgh City Council had not been finalised, even though the council had been approached a year earlier. The laying of the first stone was a statement from the artists that they meant to go through with the project. The work was completed, and "handed over for safekeeping" to the Lord Provost of Edinburgh on 30 November 2002 (St Andrew's Day). The final cost was £29,000.

Stones of Scotland commemorates the rebirth of the Scottish parliament. It is "a sculpture for Scotland to mark the spirit of the new Scottish Parliament". (The Herald 29 Nov. 2002, p.18). Overlooking the new Scottish Parliament at Holyrood, the site is meant as a northern equivalent of Speaker's Corner. Wyllie wanted to revive the tradition of having a footprint carved in a rock at centres of power, such as in the fort of Dunadd, heart of the kingdom of the Irish Scots. "This is a stone soap box"; Stones of Scotland is like "a mini-parliament. People can come along and put their foot in stone and make a wee speech - the ordinary guy saying what he thinks about the parliament". (George Wyllie quoted in The Scotsman 23 Dec. 2000, p.7). The work takes its inspiration from the poem 'Scotland' by Hugh MacDiarmid, which refers to "a statue carved out in a whole country's marble".

Inspected By : A. Taubman

Inscriptions : Incised upper and lower case into granite stone plaque: "So I have gathered unto myself / A the loose ends of Scotland, / And by naming them and accepting them, / Loving them and identifying myself with them, / Attempt to express the whole." / Hugh MacDiarmid

Incised lower case in stone plaque ... whose the tread that fits this mark? / 2000

Signatures : Incised footprint on raised stone slab toward centre of circle

Design period : 2000-2002

Year of unveiling : 2000-2002

Unveiling details : Handed over to City of Edinburgh Council on 30 November 2002 (St Andrew's Day)

Information from Public Monuments and Sculpture Association (PMSA Work Ref : EDIN0994)