Historic statue at heart of Scottish island Barra to be resurrected after surprise £85,000 donation
The group behind the campaign had raised £20,000 and thought the fundraising task was going to take a few years until the unexpected generous donation came along
A campaign to replace a historic island statue dedicated to a sixth-century saint has reached its £100,000 target following a surprise donation.
The sculpture of St Barr was erected in the Northbay area of Barra in the Western Isles in the 1970s.
Exposed to the elements, the eponymous landmark has deteriorated badly, particularly around his arms, hands and feet, and is at risk of disintegrating completely.
A campaign to replace the statue and light up the figure reached £105,000 on the saint’s feast day on September 25 when an unexpected donation of £85,000 was made by Barra-raised Captain Iain Macneil and his wife Kat.
The generous sum significantly boosted the campaign’s £20,000 generated through crowdfund donations, sales of merchandise and a grant of £10,000 from the Crown Estate Scotland.
The fundraising mission, launched in July last year, was expected to last several years. But the Macneil donation now means the community group behind the replacement project can bring forward their plans.
Micheal Iain MacKinnon, of the Saint Barr Statue Fundraising Group, said: “This donation from Iain and Kat is unbelievably generous and means a huge amount to us as a group and the whole island.
“This was initially planned as a multi-year fundraiser, but now we can bring forward our plans and progress with replacing the 50-year-old statue before it disintegrates further.”
He said the agreed timeline for delivery of the new statue would be confirmed as soon as possible.
Captain Macneil, who grew up in Barra and who co-owns Scotland’s largest publishing house Witherbys, said he was keen to give back to the community he grew up in.
He said: “Having been raised in Barra, I fully appreciate the significance of Saint Barr for the community in terms of its heritage, identity and future.
“Supporting this project not only means that the statue will be renewed, but it can act as a symbol for the community’s ambitions for the future by showing resilience and steadfast determination to succeed in all they set out to achieve.
“Kat and I have been involved with the sea most of our lives. Therefore, the maritime link with Saint Barr’s story, who sailed to the island to introduce Christianity, made this an obvious project for us to support. The sea is a big part of islanders’ daily lives and the symbolism of Saint Barr standing on a small islet surrounded by the sea is a constant reminder of its importance to island life.”
The statue was first created by local artist Margaret Somerville, who died in 2018. It was sculpted using concrete moulded around a steel frame and depicts Saint Finbar of Cork holding a shepherd’s crook aloft as he looks to the heavens.
The community group are in discussions with sculptor Stephen Tinney to use the existing sculpture as the basis for the new statue. The statue will be increased in size by 50 per cent so it is more visible from the shore.
In Gaelic, Barra is Barraigh, which translates as Barr’s Island. It takes its name from Saint Finbar of Cork, who is believed to have been a follower of Saint Columba and introduced Christianity to the island.
While the replacement of the statue can now proceed, the community fundraising group will continue to raise funds to cover ongoing annual maintenance of the saint, the lights that will illuminate him, and the shore-based information boards.
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