At 33 metres high, the Star of Caledonia would be taller than the Angel of the North

The Angel of the North and the Kelpies have demonstrated the pulling power of giant works of art – and now they could soon be joined by the “Star of Caledonia”. The £10 million sculpture would stand near the England-Scotland border at Gretna Green, and, illuminated by a total of 108 lights, would be visible for miles around.

Compared to the famous double helix of DNA, it is apparently intended to symbolise the “dynamism of the Scottish nation” while its curves represent "Scottish brainpower" (no sniggering at the back, our ‘cultural cringe’ has no place in discussions of monumental works of art).

An artist's impression of the proposed Star of Caledonia artwork for a site near the Scotland-England border at Gretna | SOCT/PA

At 33 metres (108ft), it would be taller than the Angel of the North, but hopefully would not start some kind of cross-border one-upmanship. It’s not the size that counts and we’re bigger than that, surely?

It has been more than 20 years in the making, and we wish the trust behind the project all the best as they seek planning permission and to raise the remainder of the necessary funds. If its impact is anything like that of the Kelpies, it will all be worth it.

Massive 'Star of Caledonia' could be Kelpies 2.0

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