A sandstone portrait of the Bard is going under the hammer to help fund an Angus memorial to Robert Burns.
And with Burns Night approaching, it is hoped there could be worldwide interest in the item.
Angus sculptor Brian Wyllie carved the stone panel which was part of a Montrose museum display coinciding with the town’s Burns Club annual supper at the weekend.
Brian, from Pitmuies, near Guthrie, created the sculpture from a block of red sandstone.
It came from surplus material from the restoration of the Duke of Sutherland’s doocot on Mertoun Estate in the Borders.
He stylised the work on Scots portrait painter Alexander Nasmyth’s famous painting of Burns.
The piece will be the first lot in a fine art sale at Taylor’s auctions in Montrose on February 5.
It has an estimate of £500 to £700.
Sunnyside cairn
Proceeds will go towards completing a memorial near Montrose which marks the link between the Bard and ‘Gentle Shetlander’ Adam Christie.
Burns stopped at the site during a Highland tour of 1787.
Christie, who lived much of his life in the former Sunnyside asylum there, sculpted using the most basic of tools.
And in 1930, he carved a plaque marking the Bard’s Angus stop.
It has been saved as part of a new memorial at Sunnyside Estate which is now being transformed into housing.
A sculpture by Brian of Adam Christie has also been incorporated in the new cairn.
Mearns heritage expert Dave Ramsay and Brian have collaborated on a number of heritage sculpture projects since 2014.
Dave said: “Brian is an extremely skilled craftsman, and was the perfect person for these tasks.
“Brian knows the Adam Christie story, and has a parallel life with Adam in that both men demonstrate both sculpting and musical skills, Adam with his fiddles and Brian with his guitars, one of which is actually made from stone. ”
Brian has completed another Christie sculpture from an old piece of Sunnyside stone, which will be taken to Shetland in May to be gifted to Adam Christie’s descendants.
Graeme Newton of Montrose Burns Club added: “Brian’s work is fantastic and we are so lucky to have him creating such beautiful work on our behalf.
Prior to the auction, Taylor’s Auctions will upload details of it to their own website as well as two specialist websites which will be live bidding platforms on the day.
