Cheques worth more than £40,000 presented to Seafarers Memorial Group in Wick
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Two cheques with a combined value of more than £40,000 were handed over to the Seafarers Memorial Group to coincide with the unveiling of Wick's new statue commemorating lost seafarers.
The ceremony at the Braehead at the weekend marked the culmination of a five-year campaign to raise more than £100,000 for a monument to those lost at sea from or in the WK registration area.
The fundraising appeal was supported by donations of £20,710 from the Caithness and North Sutherland Fund and £20,000 from the Beatrice offshore wind farm.
Large crowds turned out on Saturday to see the first major memorial in the town for 100 years. There were speeches, seafaring songs, a specially composed pipe tune and a poem as invited guests and members of the public gathered around the towering bronze figure created by sculptor Alan Beattie Herriot.
Caithness and North Sutherland Fund's vice-chairperson Kayleigh Nicolson said: “We at the Caithness and North Sutherland Fund were absolutely delighted to support the Seafarers Memorial Group in putting the memorial together.
"It's just stunning the way it has turned out. It's going to be a focal point for the community.
“It really draws the eye. It's wonderful the way it looks like it has just come up from the sea.”
David Shearer, SSE Renewables community investment manager, said: “The Seafarers Memorial is a fitting project for the Beatrice Caithness fund to support and the construction of the memorial is a fantastic achievement for everyone involved.
"It will serve as a prominent visitor point of interest for present and future generations and will raise awareness of the area’s important seafaring history as well as providing a place for reflection.”
Seafarers Memorial Group chairman Willie Watt described the sculpture as "our Angel of the Far North". He said it "brings the community and the sea together" and would be treasured by local people and visitors alike.
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The statue rises to a height of five metres on a stainless-steel base plinth surrounded by five lecterns. The male figure has one arm outstretched, holding a representation of a haddock, while the other hand gestures towards a panel at the base of the column containing figures of sea users from past and present in bas-relief in bronze.
Mr Watt said: “Roughly our total funds came to about £110,000, of which 48 per cent came from grant funders, then 26 per cent came from the public and 26 per cent from businesses around the country and locally.
“We in the group are so delighted with the finished result. It has exceeded our expectations on how it looks and indeed it is going to become our Angel of the Far North, in a prominent position over the harbour.
"It will be a place of reflection and remembrance and hopefully it'll focus people on the dangers of the sea.
“It has been a collaborative affair, from fundraising through to delivery. I would really like to say that the companies in this area have been absolutely exceptional, the public have been exceptional, the funds have come freely, and people of all ages have really connected with what we are doing. We are proud of it.”
Wick and Longhope lifeboats accompanied a procession of small boats out into the bay and flowers were dropped into the water at the same time as wreaths were laid at the memorial.
Lord Thurso, the Lord-Lieutenant of Caithness, the Arion Choir, Wick RBLS Pipe Band and local poet Jenny Szyfelbain all took part in the ceremony.
The formal unveiling was carried out by Isobel Leask, who was the first of many to make generous donations to the appeal, and the memorial was dedicated by Jackie Dodds, the Fishermen's Mission area officer for Caithness and Orkney.
Mr Herriot described the memorial as one of his most satisfying works.
Placed around it are four Caithness stone benches, two with backs detailing all the harbours and fishing stations in the WK area, stretching from Portmahomack up to Stroma and across to Port Vasgo.
The lecterns have tops detailing different maritime themes. Three of these tops were designed by Wick High School pupils.
