A stunning red poppies installation, which is expected to drive tens of thousands of visitors to Perth this summer, has been unveiled.
The iconic Weeping Window display officially opens at the city’s Black Watch Castle and Museum on Thursday morning.
The Armistice-theme artwork is part of the renowned Blood Swept Lands installation which drew millions to the Tower of London in 2014.
Perth is the first location in mainland Scotland to host the Weeping Window element, which features more than 5,000 ceramic poppies cascading from a top floor window of historic Balhousie Castle.
The museum charts the history of Scotland’s premier Highland regiment from its formation in 1881 to recent conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan. Black Watch members were joined with a local school choir in a ceremony on Wednesday afternoon to welcome the artwork.
Sir Alistair Irwin, who is chairman of the museum, said: “The Black Watch is honoured and proud that its home and museum has been chosen for the first display of the Weeping Window on the Scottish mainland.
“The people of Perth have always been great supporters of their local regiment whether in times of peace or of conflict. Many of their sons were amongst the 9,000 Black Watch men who gave their lives in the Great War.”
He said: “I am sure this will bring a lot of people into Perth and that will be great for the area.
“But the most important thing is that these poppies will create a sense of feeling, a real reminder of how much we owe other people. I feel that is more important than the pounds, shillings and pence this will bring into the area.”
From the inside of @museumbw, the poppies flow…#poppiestour #poppytour #poppies pic.twitter.com/1JNTAZONEu
— Paul Cummins MBE (@PaulCumminsMBE) June 29, 2016
The display, commissioned by First World War arts group 14-18 NOW, is one of two sculptures taken from the Tower of London installation which was designed and put together by artist Paul Cummins and designer Tom Piper.
Mr Cummins said Balhousie was an ideal location. “Everywhere we take the sculpture, its always going to be different. The castle has been a great place for us. The window where the poppies appear to be coming from is 7m high, which is the same height it was in London.
“The economic benefits of this are going to be extraordinary.”
Mr Piper added: “It will really bring people out together to see something that they can relate to and talk about afterwards.”
Although it’s difficult to say how many visitors the poppies might attract, they brought crowds of about 40,000 to Orkney and 350,000 to Liverpool.
The museum could more than double its average annual visitor number of 75,000.
Perth and Kinross Provost Liz Grant attended yesterday’s ceremony. “The Black Watch Castle and Museum is a real asset in the city and a natural home for the poppies,” she said. “The sculpture provides a special opportunity to honour our forces and the ultimate sacrifice which many of them have made in the name of peace.”
The display runs until September 25 when it will be dismantled and moved to Caernarfon Castle in Wales.
