Vandalism Cone Concerns

A TRAFFIC cone that has been placed on top of the Robert Burns Statue in Dumfries town centre has been branded as “ridiculous” and as “vandalism”.

That’s the opinion of Dumfries Burns Club secretary Donald Gibson who is fed up of the monument being targeted.

Mr Gibson says he was happy to see so many visitors to the area and at the Burns Statue during the weekend.

But the Burns Club stalwart was left furious and horrified that the tourists were having a chuckle at the cone on top of the historical landmark.

Mr Gibson said: “I was delighted to see a group of English tourists enjoying the summer sunshine in the centre of town at the weekend.

“However, my delight swiftly dissolved into despair when I realised they were having a laugh at the ridiculous traffic cone stuck on top of our precious iconic statue to Scotland’s National Poet.”

Mr Gibson is now calling for Dumfries and Galloway Council to arrange to have the object — which he claims is vandalism and disrespectful — removed from the monument.

He also wants further action to deter from any other potential incidents.

Mr Gibson added: “Please can the local council arrange to have this object removed from the monument and ensure that any images from the CCTV cameras of the individuals carrying out this act of deliberate disrespect can be made available for the public to see.”

This isn’t the first time a cone has been placed on top of the Burns Statue.

On the last occasion in 2024, Mr Gibson wrote a letter to the Dumfries Courier condemning the actions.

He said: “I am truly sorry to see what’s been done to our statue of Robert Burns.

“Some individuals thought it was clever to copy the ugly traffic-cone that’s usually stuck on top of the Wellington statue in Glasgow.

“The vandals who carried out this act in Dumfries had no regard to the damage that they may have caused. Also, they could easily have seriously injured themselves by climbing up the statue.

“I wonder if there is any CCTV evidence available that could identify the individuals or if anyone witnessed them carrying out the act?

“Perhaps the wee hooligans did not realise Burns and Wellington were two very different people.

“Burns was the sensitive, humble ploughman poet who wrote tenderly about love, nature and our native land. Wellington was said to be an ignorant and arrogant military officer, then a politician. Wellington deserves to be mocked, in my view.

“On the other hand, Robert Burns is fondly remembered and his work and his reputation are highly respected in every corner of the world.”

As Mr Gibson referred to in his letter two years ago, the traffic cone on the Duke of Wellington’s statue in Glasgow is a famous symbol of local humour.

This tradition began in the 1980s as a late-night student prank. People repeatedly climbed the monument to place an orange cone on the Duke’s head.

Glasgow City Council initially removed the cones due to safety concerns and costs. However, residents continuously replaced them, transforming the act into a beloved tradition.

More cones on statues have appeared across the country recently – which some believe are to do with Scotland being in the World Cup.

One was placed on top of a war memorial in Annan which some felt was “disrespectful” and has since been removed.

A Dumfries and Galloway Council spokesman was contacted for comment.