Golspie man stands up for 'Mannie'

Isle of Lewis resident John Morrison has set up an internet petition calling for it to be taken down because of the role the Duke played in the Clearances.

But Golspie resident Steven Doogan has launched a counter petition to leave the “Mannie”, as the statue is known locally, alone.

Mr Morrison’s petition yesterday had 2365 signatures and Mr Doogan’s 609.

It is not the first time the statue, erected around 1837 in memory of George Granville Leveson-Gower, the 1st Duke of Sutherland, has polarised opinion, with calls for it to be removed.

In 1995 the late Sandy Lindsay, Newtonmore, launched a campaign to demolish it and replace it with a Celtic Cross or plaque dedicated to the Clearances.

He was unsuccessful but the move sparked a huge debate. Graffiti has been sprayed across the plinth on more than one occasion and it was defaced in May 2010 with the word “monster” sprayed across it in green paint.

In 2011, two attempts were made to topple the statue by removing large sandstone bricks from either side of the massive plinth on which it stands.

The statue was the centre of attention in the run-up to the independence referendum last year when a Yes banner was hung on it in a clandestine operation by pro-independence group the Hills Have Ayes.

Mr Morrison started his petition on website change.org last Saturday.

He wrote: “It is a disgusting embarrassment which glorifies some of the worst atrocities committed within Scotland and akin to having a statue of Adolf Hitler in Jerusalem.”

Mr Morrison stated that he wanted to petition the Scottish Parliament to open a discussion about its removal and the erection of a statue of a “more worthy person”.

He wrote: “My own preference would be something honouring Edward Dwelly who worked tirelessly to create a beautiful dictionary of the Gaelic language. It is surely time to address this carbuncle on the face of the Scottish Highlands.”

Mr Doogan said he had learned of Mr Morrison’s petition through a friend who had sent him a link. He set up a rival petition on his Facebook page on Sunday.

He said: “I was very annoyed and I set up my petition to raise awareness of the fact that this other petition is in existence.

“It is only fair and just that the people who live here are aware what people from outwith the area are doing.”

Mr Doogan said he has been approached by members of the public thanking him for his action.

He believes that the majority of the 1100 residents of Golspie are in favour of the Mannie remaining in situ. He said: “I think it encourages discussion about a horrific period in Scottish history and will continue to do so.”

Mr Doogan suggested that instead of dismantling it, efforts should be made to make the statue more of a visitor attraction.

He said: “Rather than talking about taking it down and the costs incurred in that, we should be thinking about creating some kind of initiative involving the statue and other historical monuments in the area that would bring in visitors and help boost the economy.”

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