New Cumbernauld sculpture galvanized against weather

The £250,000 sculpture was galvanized free of charge

A sculpture designed to boost the image of one of Scotland's most maligned towns has been dipped in molten zinc to protect it from the weather.

The 10m (33ft) steel structure, of a female form, will eventually overlook the A80 near Cumbernauld - formerly named the most dismal Scottish town.

The £250,000 sculpture, created by artist Andy Scott, was split into 15 sections for the galvanizing process.

The work was carried out for free by Cumbernauld-based Highland Galvanizers.

The design for the Cumbernauld sculpture was inspired by the original name for the town, "comar nan allt", which means "coming together of waters" in Gaelic.

The work was commissioned by Campsies Centre Cumbernauld Ltd (CCCL) - a company established by North Lanarkshire Council to facilitate the redevelopment of Cumbernauld.

The completed sculpture will be unveiled later this summer.