Show Links
News / Local

Sculptures set to light up north-east

by Jamie Hall
08/11/2019, 6:57 am Updated: 10/11/2019, 4:00 pm
Hugh Little, chairman of Clan, and Colette Backwell, chief executive of Clan, pictured at the launch of Light the North, the lighthouse trail
Hugh Little, chairman of Clan, and Colette Backwell, chief executive of Clan, pictured at the launch of Light the North, the lighthouse trail

The north-east is to shine in the darkness, thanks to dozens of lighthouse sculptures.

The designs will be installed across the region as part of the Light the North art trail in aid of Clan Cancer Support.

Design firm Mearns and Gill came up with the name and brand for the scheme, which will provide a trail stretching all the way from Stonehaven to Shetland.

The trail aims to provide a “light in the dark” for those with cancer and their families, while raising vital funds for Clan.

Light the North

Mearns and Gill’s senior designer, Mairi MacLeod-Gray, said: “Clan kind of left it up to us, how we wanted to approach it, so we had a pretty clean slate in terms of the design.

“We wanted there to be a real creative aspect to it, with lighthouses that would really stand out and lend themselves to being decorated by the artists when the time comes for that to happen. It was also in our thinking that we wanted the design of the lighthouses to be quite abstract, but also in keeping with the theme of Clan being a light in the darkness for so many people who are living with cancer and their families.”

Organisers hope between 30 and 70 of the sculptures will be installed, helping the charity raise the annual £2.5 million it needs to operate. There will be an education programme, too, with schools getting involved by designing their own, miniature versions.

Keep up to date with the latest news with The Evening Express newsletter

The trail is being held in conjunction with Wild in Art, which helped deliver Oor Wullie’s Big Bucket Trail this year.

Clan’s chief executive, Dr Colette Backwell, said: “We’re delighted to have the support of Mearns and Gill to help us to bring Light the North to life.

“Clan is a beacon of hope to around 2,500 people affected by cancer across the north-east, Moray, Orkney and Shetland every year and we wanted a brand that reflected that.

“With more than 2,000 people living with cancer in the region, we hope that Light the North will spread awareness of our cancer support services to those who need it and help to raise funds so we can support even more people affected by cancer.”