The trust behind the Star of Caledonia land art sculpture, planned for near Dumfriesshire‘s Famous Blacksmith’s Shop at Gretna Green, has been seeking the public’s views.
A company called ekosgen has been appointed by Star of Caledonia Trust to conduct research within the wider community of Gretna Green plus Dumfries and Galloway to discuss “activities” at the land art sculpture planned for construction along the M74 near the Old Blacksmith’s Shop.
And it also aims to gain feedback over a proposed accompanying visitor and education hub, which they hope “would be a valuable addition to the destination and tourism landscape in Gretna Green”.
An online survey has been running alongside an earlier feedback public meeting.
An ekosgen spokesperson said: “Through this survey and our wider research, we are exploring what would be of interest to tourists and local visitors, local businesses, community groups and education providers at the Star.”
The trust behind the £11 million Star of Caledonia landmark hopes its construction could start close to the M74 before next winter .
The target is to open to visitors by the spring of 2027.
It also envisages around 200,000 visitors in the first year .
It is being paid for by “a mixture of public and private funding” with the largest sum said to be coming from CWP Energy.
It originally had a price tag of £4.8 million more than 20 years ago.
Permission was granted for it to be built on farmland close to the border but was then stymied by a lack of cash.
However, the proposed new site is less than a mile north in a field off the B7076 – adjacent to the M74 – across from the The Smiths Hotel with funding pledges secured from the wind farm operator, the Borderlands Inclusive Growth Deal and South of Scotland Enterprise.
The illuminated star is designed by Cecil Balmond as a tribute to the discovery of electromagnetism by one of Scotland’s most eminent scientists who hails from the region, James Clark Maxwell.
At 33-metres-tall, the structure would be clearly visible from the motorway and taller than Gateshead’s Angel Of The North, but its 553 rods and 106 attached lights would have a “glow”.
It is understood that the planned visitor centre would be linked to the sculpture by a walking route and will showcase the star and act as a gateway to promote tourist trails – but that would be built at a later date.
Anyone with any questions, or comments, about the survey or wider research, is asked to contact ekosgen’s project manager, Ross Mawhinney, at [email protected] .
Alternatively, contact the survey developer Ines Mackenzie-Hardy at [email protected].
A website has been set up at https://www.thestarofcaledonia.org/.