The River Tay is the longest river in Scotland and
the most powerful river in Britain. It flows through
the City of Perth and it is to the river that the city
owes its existence – having grown up in the middleages around the lowest point that the river could be
bridged.
Alongside the river are placed thought-provoking
sculptures which draw their inspiration from the
river and its wildlife, the city, its history, its poets
and its life.
Together these sculptures form the River Tay Public
Art Trail which, consisting of outstanding art works
positioned in some of the most beautiful settings in
the City of Perth, recalls the artistic, historical and
natural heritage of the City of Perth and its river.
At a moderate pace, the whole trail should take
just over an hour to complete and ends in the city
centre, where there are many cafes and restaurants
in which to enjoy a well-earned refreshment.
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This trail was made possible through the generosity
of the National Lottery, Perth & Kinross Council,
Scottish Enterprise Tayside, The Gannochy
Bridgend Fund and the Scottish Arts Council.
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Perthshire Public Art Trust
Sculptures on the map are numbered, but you do
not have to follow all the numbers in sequence to
enjoy the trail. In addition, you will discover many
more fascinating works of art along the way.
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Access: Please see map for car parks, access for
pedestrians and for people in wheelchairs.
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The River Tay is the longest
river in Scotland and the most
powerful river in Britain. The
River Tay Public Art Trail is a
walking trail which connects a
number of outstanding artworks
situated in some of the most
beautiful settings in the City of
Perth, leading those who follow it
on an intriguing journey recalling
the heritage of the City and the
river which flows through it.
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This trail was made possible through
the generosity of the National Lottery,
Perth & Kinross Council, Scottish
Enterprise Tayside, The Bridgend
Trust and the Scottish Arts Council.
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PERTH MUSEUM
& ART GALLERY
Perthshire Public Art Trust
2 High Street
Perth PH1 5PH
T. 01738 475000
www.perthpublicarttrail.co.uk
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The Perthshire Public Art Trust is a Scottish Charity (no. Sco 22244) established to be the lead organisation
influencing the development of art in public places in the administrative area of Perth and Kinross.
Wall Carvings
Gillian Forbes 1998
Tay Street
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These ten stone carvings between the
bridges, set in the wall along Tay Street,
depict subjects associated with Perth
and its surrounding area. Potatoes
and leaves represent the richness of
the agriculture. Unthank is the name
of a farm which once stood within the
city boundary.
The Dark And Singing Tide
David Annand 2002
Tay Street
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In winter, from Tay Street, Goldeneye
ducks can be seen diving. The inspiration
for this piece was taken from one of
William Soutar’s poems, The River.
The artist has attempted to ‘extract’ a
cubic meter from the river Tay and in it
a Goldeneye duck is diving for molluscs.
Access Gates
Malcolm Robertson 2011
Tay Street
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The Tay is famous for its salmon
fishing. The three fishermen’s access
gates along this street present artwork
that brings to mind scenes typical of
the Tay. They depict the surrounding
landscape and wildlife, including fish,
birds and seals.
Eagle of Perth
Shona Kinloch 2002
Tay Street
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This sculpture was inspired by a part
of Perth’s history. In 1839 the Merchant
Guild built a ship called ‘The Eagle’
to improve trade, particularly with the
Baltic. The plump fish represents the
prosperity that the merchants intended
to bring to the city. Does the obviously
well fed bird represent the wealth
and life-style this trade brought the
merchants?
River Tay Themes
David Wilson 1999
North Inch
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The size and scale of this beautiful
barrier gives us a sense of how powerful
the River Tay can be when the banks
have burst. It also suggests the sheer
strength and resilience it would take to
hold the waters back. The violence and
turbulence of the waters is reflected
in the jagged, sweeping and fractured
images depicted in the gates’ artworks.
Giant Thistle
David Wilson 2007
North Inch
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The thistle is a historical emblem
of Scotland, and this bold, modern
stainless steel and copper sculpture
is a striking interpretation of it.
Commissioned by local charity Perth
in Bloom (now Beautiful Perth), it is
almost an artistic embodiment of the
organisation’s name at that time.
www.beautifulperth.org
Two Buoys Playing
Chris Biddlecombe 1997
Norie-Miller Park
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Perth Sundial II
Derek Lovejoy
Partnership 1970
Norie-Miller Park
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This huge sundial, with its solid
concrete base and gnomon, pointing
assertively skyward, reminds us of
Time’s ever-present and relentless
control of human life.
The Dance Within
Paul Eugene Riley 1998
Norie-Miller Park
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This thought-inspiring sculpture
suggests storytelling beside the river.
Some stories will journey through time
and some will sink into obscurity before
eventually emerging to be retold. The
flotsam and jetsam remind us of the
flow of the river. The musical instrument
forms represent the ever-lasting
attraction of traditional storytelling.
This glass resin sculpture is best
viewed from a little distance and set
against the sky. It’s worth taking time
to contemplate its unusual structure.
At first glance it looks as though it
might fall apart, though the sculptor
has cleverly crafted it so that the two
halves and the vertical elements are
perfectly balanced.
Thocht Stane
Donald Urquhart 1998
Deschampsia Flexuosa
(Wavy Hair-grass)
Phil Johnson 1992
Norie-Miller Park
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Made from sandstone and granite, the
Thocht Stane (Thought Stone) sits in
a secluded corner where viewers can
enjoy it in quiet contemplation. The
authoritative words carved on it may
be taken as an invitation, or even a
command, to observe the immediate
and perhaps even wider surroundings.
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Foxtrot Ridge
David Annand 1992
Rodney Gardens
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This life-like and endearing fox brings
a sense of the wild into the beautifully
cultivated Rodney Gardens. The turn
of the animal’s head suggests that
something has caught his eye; it’s
almost an invitation to follow his
gaze and appreciate the scene laid
out behind you.
Outwith Within,
Seed, Leaf and Bud
David Wilson 1998
Bellwood Park, Moncreiff e Island
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These 3-way marker sculptures not
only relate to their surroundings, with
the leaf, seed and bud represented,
but they also suggest reasons why
people might use the gardens. Many
of us visit in search of peace, quiet
and contemplation, so they may also
be seen as way-markers to life. The
sculptor also took inspiration from
the author Patrick Geddes’ The World
Without and the World Within, in which
he suggested that a walk in the garden
could act as a stimulus to thought and
imagination.
Millais’ Viewpoint
Tim Shutter 1997
River Arch
Doug Cocker 1998
Bellwood Park
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Bellwood Park
Each of these sculptures displays a tall,
beautifully crafted, triple-pointed Celtic
shape. This striking feature allows them
to be seen from a distance. The shapes
represent images from the immediate
surrounding area, such as the nearby
river, local species of birds and the
river flowers and plants to be found
in the park. However, their beauty
disguises a more practical role each sculpture holds a litterbin.
This huge ‘frame’ and seat,
beautifully carved from St Bees
sandstone, represents a favourite
viewpoint of Victorian painter John
Everett Millais, who had strong family
links with Perth. Today the view is no
less beautiful and can be enjoyed as
Millais saw it. Line yourself up with it
one particular way, and the sculpture
frames Kinnoull Kirkyard, where the
painter’s wife, Effie Gray, lies buried.
Tay Street
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The Fair Maid of Perth
Graham Ibbeson 1992
High Street
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You can walk round, under and
through this monumental sculpture.
The soft, curving profile of the one
vertical element illustrates a circular
movement in the river. The other,
with a harder outline, suggests the
bridges of the Tay. We are reminded
of Perth’s relationship with the Tay
and of its importance in the city’s
history and prosperity.
William Soutar is Perth’s best-known
poet. After service in the First World
War, he contracted a chronic disease
of the spine, rendering him disabled
for the rest of his life. His writings have
inspired several works of public art.
His more light-hearted side is shown
in this amusing piece, representing
quirky animal forms featured in his
poem Bairn Rhymes.
The Fair Maid of Perth is a novel
written by Sir Walter Scott (1771-1832).
The fictitious heroine of the novel,
Catherine Glover, creates jealousy and
intrigue in a story packed with tales of
Royal conspiracy, feuding Highlanders
and murder most horrible. Her depiction
in this beautifully sculpted bronze statue
seems to conceal the excitement and
adventure she is capable of sparking.
Vortex
Malcolm Robertson 1994
Salmon Run
Lee Brewster 2004
Nae Day Sae Dark
David Annand 1992
Bellwood Park
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A vortex is a swirling motion of water a whirlpool. At one time, some people
believed that similar movement
amongst the component parts of the
universe caused rotating movement,
such as this, here on Earth. Does this
sculpture illustrate that theory? An
interesting question.
Torse de Femme
Norie-Miller Park, Rodney Gardens, Bellwood Park
Soutar’s Menagerie
Rhonda Bayley 2004
Design: J. D. Fergusson 1918
Cast: Bill Hepworth 1994
Fergusson Gallery
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The soft curves and elegant smooth
skin of this striking sculpture present a
powerful representation of womanhood.
She bends back, with a swollen belly,
proudly, almost brazenly challenging.
She is a testimony to woman’s lifeperpetuating fertility.
Tay Street
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The River Tay is sometimes referred to
as the ‘Silvery Tay’, after a famous poem
by Victorian poet William McGonagall.
It is depicted here winding towards the
sea and includes the salmon for which
it is famed. From the seating you have
an excellent view of the Perth cityscape.
Art Works in St John Street
David Wilson 2005
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St John Street
These exaggerated natural forms bring
a sense of the countryside into the town.
They act as a notable contrast to the
vertical symmetry of the lampposts they
are attached to and the hard, vertical
lines of the architecture around them.
They also draw our gaze to the sky and
open air above, further creating that
illusion of being close to nature.
High Street
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This is the third sculpture inspired
by Perth poet William Soutar (see also
Soutar’s Menagerie and The Dark and
Singing Tide). The two figures represent
happiness and misery. As with Soutar’s
poem of the same name, the sculpture
reminds us that however overpowering
the dark, a glint of light will appear and
even in the deepest despair, hope will
always prevail.