Call for freedom to build a statue of William Wallace in Selkirk

Community councillor Jim Stillie has been campaigning for some time to raise awareness of the proud history of the royal burgh.

And at Monday night’s meeting, Mr Stillie said: “As part of my ongoing crusade to make the people of Selkirk aware of its history, and of the momentous occasion of when William Wallace was made guardian of Scotland in this very town, we really should make the most of it.

“I would like to see if we could raise a statue in the town to add to the town’s many historic attractions.

“I believe most people in Selkirk are still unaware of the importance of him being made guardian of Scotland. It gave him the authority to raise and lead an army against the English.

“If he hadn’t done that, we would probably not be able to call ourselves Scottish today.

“However, we are still fighting for our independence.”

Mr Stillie said he spoke to someone in Moffat about his campaign, who told him: “If Moffat had half the history of Selkirk, we would be busier than Blackpool.”

He added that there are now plenty of cafes in the town to cater for visitors, but they just need to be made aware of the importance of the town in history.

Fellow councillor Tommy Combe threw a little cold water over the idea.

He said: “There is nothing to say he was really even here. He was made guardian of Scotland, but he didn’t have to be here.”

But it’s still on the table, with community council chairman Alistair Pattullo saiying: “Let’s find out how much it would cost to build a statue, then let’s find out if someone is willing to pay for it.”