The Leopard

Today Mrs CBL and I were in Aberdeen for lunch using a gift voucher we were given at Christmas.  We enjoyed ourselves very much as Italian food is a big favourite of ours.

While Mrs CBL did some shopping and bought some messages I had a wander round Marischal Square in search of a blip.  It’s many years since I last posted the sculpture of the leopard and so I thought I would put it back in the spot today.  The sculpture was created by Andy Scott who is best known for designing and constructing the Kelpies at Falkirk.

What connections does Aberdeen have with leopards?  Well legend has it, two leopards were bestowed as a gift to the city by King James I after his long and ‘compulsory residence’ in England. After being held captive, the city of Aberdeen underwrote the expenses he had incurred during his captivity.

The sculpture sits on top of a ten metre high steel column and is five metres in length.  Its name is ‘Poised’ and the leopard certainly looks poised ready to pounce, perhaps on some unsuspecting person walking beneath it.  Weighing in at just over two tonnes, it took thousands of steel fragments to produce this elegant beast.