A pupil from Dunbar school has won the competition to name the sculpture of the bear, which forms part of the mixed-use Hallhill Development at Dunbar in East Lothian.
The bear is a five-metre high steel sculpture created by renowned Scottish artist Andy Scott (also creator of the much loved ‘Kelpies’).
Emily Hotchkiss, from S5 at Dunbar Grammar School, was awarded the prize after her bear name “The DunBear” was chosen. One of Emily’s prizes was a picture of the bear signed by Andy.
Following the recent unveiling of the Dunbar bear in November, a competition was held with students from Belhaven Hill School, Dunbar Primary and Grammar to name the bear. The winner was chosen from nearly 3,000 entries.
The Dunbar bear sculpture, located off the A1 in close proximity to the Spott roundabout at Dunbar, represents the legacy of one of East Lothian’s most famous sons, John Muir.
John Muir, born in Dunbar in 1838, played a key role in the development of America’s national parks. He emigrated from Scotland in 1849 and is famous for petitioning the U.S. Congress for the National Park bill, establishing Yosemite National Park. The bear is symbolic of John Muir’s travels through the far-off wilderness of America’s west, in the Rockies and his advocacy for National Parks.
The sculpture forms part of the mixed-use Hallhill development, which started on site in 1999. It has already delivered sports facilities, 56 acres of community woodland together with 1,200 homes including over 200 affordable family homes with approximately 320 currently under development, as well as school provision and commercial and retail outlets.
“The DunBear” took the prize after students from Belhaven Hill School, Dunbar Primary and Grammar entered their own names to the competition. The top 10 names from each school were then selected by the head teacher and passed onto the prefects of the school to narrow down the selection.
The final name was chosen by Andy Scott and stakeholders from Hallhill Developments, who commissioned the piece.
Ken Ross, from Hallhill Developments, said: “I’m absolutely thrilled and would like to congratulate Emily Hotchkiss on her name for the bear. Every entry represented real enthusiasm for the project and, at the end of the day, community, history and talent is what this unveiling has been about.
“The DunBear celebrates the incredible legacy left behind by John Muir. His advocacy for national parks and the environment in general is a lesson to us all that we must do what we can to protect our precious environment.
“Going forward, we hope that many more children, young people and adults alike take an interest, visit and take an interest in ‘The DunBear’.”
Pictures: Colin Hattersley
