Statues

Roadside life size naturalistic bronze of an Angus bull on a shallow stone plinth, surrounded by a small area of paving enclosed, on the field side, by a mortared rubble wall with cairn like pillars.
First Plaque reads:
ABERDEEN ANGUS
This bronze sculpture was commissioned by the community of Alford in 2001 to symbolise the historic connection between the the celebrated Aberdeen Angus breed and the village of Alford.
One of the founders of the breed, Wm. McCombie farmed at Tillyfour, Alford from 1820 to 1880 and was one of the most distinguished agriculturalists of his time.

"He found a purely local breed: he left a breed known and valued throughout the cattle countries of the world."

The model for this bull, Jeremy Eric of Bridgefoot, was bred by A. Fordyce & sons, Bridgefoot, Kemnay, Aberdeenshire, and purchased by F. J. Fraser & son Newton of Idvies, Forfar, at the Perth bull sales in February 2000 for 28,000 guineas.
Sculpter: David Annand
Casting: Powderhall Bronze Edinburgh
The second plaque is a list of notable financial contributors and the third in pink granite commemorates the royal unveiling. Also shown is a portrait head after an engraving of William McCombie.

A small civic garden near the Cowie River crossing on the north side of the town centre.
The steel fabricated railings were created by 'The Stonehaven Horizon' a team volunteers when the garden was revamped in 2006. Various themes from Burns's poems are used in this garden, as well as the 'moosie' and the Thistle, along with the 'sun' logo of the Horizon Project Group. The plants in the garden are also those with Burns associations. The 'sun' logo is used throughout the town on various improvements that the group have been involved with.
The Laura Anne memorial a small sandstone memorial relief carved with a rose, inset with a granite plaque bearing the dedication (artist unknown) late 1990s.
The pre eminent raison d'être of the garden is the sandstone Bust of Scotland's most famous poet Robert Burns (b. 25 Jan 1759 Alloway d. 21st July 1796 Dumfries, at the age of 37). The entire piece is covered with references to Burns's poems - each of the four sides of the pedestal has a grotesque mask of one of his many characters along with an associated text. It was carved by Robert Taylor 'Ghosty Bob' - a local monumental mason and sculptor (his nickname a result of his work carving many gravestones).
This is the mark 2 version. Both works ultimately derive from the 1787 portrait by Alexander Nasmyth (1758-1840). This seems to be regarded as the definitive image of Burns and has been used as a source for most of the huge number of later representations, it is certainly more flattering than the portrait painted by Peter Taylor in 1786.

As part of the first Coast Festival (23rd-26th May 2008 ). The artist kindly loaned a number of her animalier works.
While many artists world wide produce sculptures of animals using the technique of welded assemblage Helen's pieces are outstanding in her apprehension of both the basic anatomy and the movement and expression of each species. She is also careful not to completely lose the original identity of the materials used in the works construction. The nature of the scrap used often add considerably to the numinous qualities of the finished piece. In my personal view the best of her works are those pieces that evoke rural Scotland (deer, sheep, horses, hunting dogs, native birds etc.) given extra poignancy by being made of the detritus of the rural economy of the recent past.

Gatepost ornament, Red sandstone carving of a dog? holding a shield. The late Captain Hay of Delgatie was an inveterate collector and the castle has many decorative elements that are now difficult to attribute to exact dates and provenances.

A Victorian portrait statue, inscription reads: Erected as a memorial of Charles Gordon Lennox Fifth Duke of Richmond, by the tenantry of the Lordship of Huntly.

A carved and stained wooden sculpture of a brown bear holding a salmon beside a tree stump with an owl, adorned with a sign.

Stone carved figure covering face with hand, the other hand appears to be cradling the head of an infant at waist height. Interpretation is slightly speculative as the stone is quite badly eroded.

A war memorial of the figurative type with a life size statue of a soldier of a Highland regiment. It commemorates the dead from both World War I & II. It was unveiled on 20 September 1921. It has a tapering rectangular base of rough hewn granite with the name plaques of World War I set in the front and sides. Above the front plaque is carved a wreath behind which are a crossed rifle and sabre. Surmounting it is a statue of a kilted soldier in battledress with a rifle in his right hand resting on its butt. The memorial stands on a three-step base, the centre one of which has the names of the dead from World War II carved into three sides.

Bronze statue of John Brown, Queen Victoria's gillie, in Highland dress, inscribed with his name on a granite plinth. The inscription on the plinth reads:
Friend more than Servant Loyal. Truthful Brave. Self less than Duty, even to the Grave.

3d stone carving of a leopard decorating a balustrade. The late Captain Hay of Delgatie was an inveterate collector and the castle has many decorative elements that are now difficult to attribute to exact dates and provenances.

A stone carving of a lion crouched to spring in the middle of a large circular pool.

Stone carving, used as a gate post decoration, of a caricatured human figure. The late Captain Hay of Delgatie was an inveterate collector and the castle has many decorative elements that are now difficult to attribute to exact dates and provenances.

A life-size bronze statue of an RNLI crewman, cast bronze in the style of heroic realism so much favoured for memorials.

Near life size stone statue of a sailor in period costume holding a pipe in one hand and an anchor in the other.

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.

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.

An example of Frank Bruce's smaller scale work in wood.

A polychrome carved wood statue in a folk style depicting the popular archetype of the 18th century highland warrior. In tartan plaid armed with broadsword, pistol and targe. Romantically situated on a rock in the side of the burn's gorge.

1869. August 16th Marshal Keith monument unveiled by the Earl of Kintore.
Marshal Keith (James Francis Edward Keith) was born at the family home, Inverugie Castle, near Peterhead in 1696. A professional soldier, he was forced into exile for his activities on behalf of the Stuart pretender to the throne (1715 and 1719). It must be remembered that the Old Pretender, James, chose Peterhead as his secret port of arrival when he came home to Scotland to raise an army in December, 1715. James Keith went on to serve Frederick II as Field-Marshal in the Prussian army and after a distinguished career, was killed at the Battle of Hochkirken in 1758. The statue, which stands outside the Old Town House in Peterhead's Broadgate, was a gift to the town from King William I of Prussia, a copy of the original which stood in Berlin. James' older brother, George, was the last of the Keiths to bear the title Earl Marischal. The title originated when Malcolm II knighted Robert Keith and created him hereditary Grand Marischal of Scotland after Robert defeated the Danish army under Camus in the early years of the eleventh century. This high office continued through the family until 1715.
The Keiths were Jacobites who, like many others who shared their loyalties, had their land confiscated by the Crown when the Jacobite cause was lost.

Sandstone bust of the poet Robert Burns (b. 25 Jan 1759 d. 21st July 1796, at the age of 37) on a columnar pedestal by Robert Taylor 'Ghosty Bob' a local monumental mason and sculptor (his nickname a result of his work carving many gravestones). This was the first statue of Burns that the artist did. Both works ultimately derive from the 1787 portrait by Alexander Nasmyth (1758-1840). This seems to be regarded as the definitive image and has been used as a source for most of the huge number of later representations, it is certainly more flattering than the portrait painted by Peter Taylor in 1786.
This bust is in a much more classical style than his Burns Statue in the Burns Garden at David Street (see related artefact) which was created as a result of a commision resulting from this one, but was never collected.
The characters Souter Johnie and Tam 'o Shanter look down on you as you view the Master, from the garden wall.

A pair of stone unicorns gaurding the main entrance of the castle. The late Captain Hay of Delgatie was an inveterate collector and the castle has many decorative elements that are now difficult to attribute to exact dates and provenances.