A small band of freedom fighters have declared their allegiance to Angus commuters.
The five amigos have found a new gnome from home on Arbroath’s gateway Declaration of Arbroath statue where they have taken up residence alongside the legendary figures of Robert The Bruce and Bernard de Linton.
The five gnomes – three small figures and two larger ones – are thought to have appeared in recent days.
But it’s unknown whether they were placed there by a local wag in an attempt to put a smile on the face of passing motorists, or may have been kidnapped from a town garden and carefully placed at the statue.
The larger figures show no signs of being homesick, however, with a smile and a wave for every passing driver.
The happy ceramic couple have already been dubbed Gnomeo and Juliet by visitors to the Arbroath Online facebook page.
The Declaration of Arbroath statue is a popular public art feature at the western entrance to Arbroath, but there are plans in the pipeline to give it even greater prominence closer to the historic setting where the important document was signed in 1320.
Fife artist David Annand, who trained at Dundee’s Duncan of Jordanstone, was commissioned to create the sculpture, which is now part of ambitious £250,000 proposals to mark the 700th anniversary of the document’s signing.
The Arbroath 2020 group hopes common good ground to the front of the main Abbey entrance could be enhanced and improved to create an appropriate legacy for Arbroath of the 700th anniversary, including relocating the statue from its spot beside the A92.
Behind the scenes efforts have been going on for some time and Angus councillors recently threw their weight behind the plans.
