William Wallace Statue

Found on the grounds of the Bemersyde estate, near Melrose in the Scottish Borders, this mighty statue commemorates the Scottish hero William Wallace. It was commissioned by David Steuart Erskine, 11th Earl of Buchan, who Sir Walter Scott once described as a man whose "immense vanity obscured, or rather eclipsed, very considerable talents”. Among monuments like the Wallace statue and the Temple of the Muses, he also founded the Society of Antiquaries in Scotland.

Carved from red sandstone and erected in 1814, the statue stands at 31 feet high and depicts Wallace in full battle regalia, with his frankly ludicrous broadsword and St Andrew’s cross on his shield. Thankfully, it looks nothing like Mel Gibson. You can take the steps up to the top to enjoy a towering view over the Bemersyde gardens and the Scottish Borders.

Wallace’s Legend

Inscriptions at the foot of the statue read: “Wallace, great patriot hero, ill requited chief.” Although that is his position in Scottish mythology, actually very little is known about him outside of his military campaign of 1297-1298 and the weeks leading to his death in 1305. He only fought two battles, of which he won one and lost one, and then spent some time in France before he was betrayed and executed. Hollywood and some national epics have rather polished his story, creating a legend that reflect plucky underdog attributes: grit and independence.