CRITICIZING art is one thing, but picking great holes in it is quite another.Guardians of the Frank Bruce Sculpture Trail, by Feshiebridge, have installed a life-like peregrine falcon called Faroe to scare off woodpeckers which have been damaging the unique works of art.
Mr Bruce died in September, 2009, aged 78, but his legacy lives on in the sculptures which he carved from local wind-blown Caledonian pines.
A total of 20 major works by the Aviemore sculptor, who had no formal training in art, were relocated to Inshriach Forest three and a half years ago by Forestry Commission Scotland.
They have proved to be a popular attraction with visitors ever since, but they have increasingly been coming under attack from rather less discerning great spotted woodpeckers.
A spokesperson for the Frank Bruce Sculpture Trust said: "The wooden exhibits are already an endangered species, with Old Father Time and the elements gradually eroding them.
"But a more immediate threat has come from an audience of woodpeckers, hence the posting of a sentry. It is a very realistic, life-sized model, perched menacingly on a pole.
"We hope that Faroe is scaring off the woodpeckers that are drilling holes in the sculptures."
Faroe is life-sized, but is made of heavy-duty polystyrene rather than wood.
Local potter Penny Weir, who is a trust member and lives by Loch an Eilein, near Aviemore, came up with the idea to frighten off the feathered vandals.
I want one!
The works of art range from small stone carvings such as the 'Sailor' to others created from whole trees, such as the 'Walker'.
Some of the pieces are more than 20 feet tall, and one is hewn from solid sandstone and weighs in at 10 tonnes.
An accessible trail takes visitors around the site and into a walled garden, where there are picnic benches and views across the surrounding hills.
The trustees also hope to construct a gallery for Mr Bruce's smaller works, which will cost in the region of £200,000.
Mr Bruce's work had previously been on display for 12 years at the Colleonard Sculpture Garden in Banff, which he created himself, and drew in around 10,000 visitors a year.
The sculptor, who hailed from St Combs in Aberdeenshire, began his sculpting career in Aviemore, and lived in the village for 26 years before moving to Banff.
Mr Bruce returned to the strath a few years before the collection, and was there when the trail was officially unveiled in November, 2007.
Strathspey and Badenoch Herald
