Restoration of Selkirk statues approved
One of the statues is dedicated to Sir Walter Scott
- Published
Two monuments in a Scottish Borders town are to be restored to their original state.
The statues of novelist, poet and historian Sir Walter Scott and explorer Mungo Park are in Selkirk town centre.
Scottish Borders Council has granted community charity Selkirk Regeneration permission to remove paint and refurbish the monuments' stonework, bronze and lead.
Sir Walter Scott, whose 19th Century novels include Ivanhoe and Rob Roy, sat as a sheriff in the town's courthouse. Selkirk-born Park explored parts of West Africa.
The statues are more than 160 years old and within the Selkirk Conservation Area.
A Scottish Borders Council report said the proposed work was expected to preserve the character and appearance of the conservation area.
Selkirk Regeneration's application to the local authority said the current paint finish degraded the statues' aesthetic.
It said: "The retention of the status quo is not sustainable for the health of the monuments and financially the required yearly re-painting is excessive.
"Care must be taken and only carried out by highly qualified specialist contractors to ensure that the correct method of removal and treatment of surfaces are used."