Scott Sutherland

in 1734 was demolished.

A plaque was made by Scott to commemorate this building and it is situated in City Square.

Scott Sutherland (15 May 1910 – 10 October 1984) was a Scottish sculptor, best known for the Commando Memorial in Spean Bridge.

He was Head of Sculpture at Duncan of Jordanstone College of Art

Scott Sutherland was born in 1910, the son of David Sutherland, headmaster of West Banks School in Wick, Caithness and his wife Helen Ann Alan Scott and grew up there.

Scott's father was also an officer in the Highland Division and saw active service on the Western Front from 1915 to 1918.

He studied at Gray's School of Art from 1928 to 1929 and at Edinburgh College of Art from 1929 to 1933 under the supervision of Alexander Carrick, for whom he had a lifelong respect.

He was

a keen amateur boxer, and he frequently chose to portray sporting activities in his work throughout his life.

He won a scholarship for his postgraduate year, and during this time he executed a bronze trophy for the Scottish Athletic Federation.

In 1933 he was awarded the Carnegie Travelling Scholarship, and went to Egypt, Greece and Italy.

In 1934 he was awarded an Andrew Grant Travelling Scholarship which enabled him to continue his studies

at the École des Beaux-Arts, privately with Jan et Joël Martel, and in the cathedral towns of France and Germany.

After the end of the war, he was appointed headmaster of Wick Academy, a post which he retained until he retired in 1938.

As a young man Scott was recognised as an able violinist, and he continued to play throughout his life.

In 1938 he made statues of Robert Burns, Thomas Carlyle and Walter Scott

for the exterior of the Scottish Pavilion and a bronze birdbath entitled "Birdbath, Faun" for the Palace of Arts at the Empire Exhibition in Glasgow.

He subsequently made portraits of the Duke of Portland and Sir Archibald Sinclair.

In 1940 he won the

Guthrie Award for the best work in the RSA Exhibition for a work entitled "Labor Vincit".

After the outbreak of war Scott joined the army, serving for just over six years in anti-aircraft regiments.

He qualified as a P.T. Instructor.

The Commandos were established in 1940, and after the war they felt the need for a memorial of their own, to be erected near Achnacarry, their training ground.

In a competition restricted to sculptors of Scottish nationality or Scottish residence with six entries Scott won the first prize.

In January 1942 he married Kenethina Hendry from Wick.

He was able to exhibit at the RSA in 1944, choosing military topics:

Man-Handling and Grenade Thrower.

In November 1945, Scott was appointed Modelling and Sculpture Master in Belfast Technical College.

In 1947 he was appointed Instructor

in Modelling at Dundee Institute of Art and Technology, initially on a temporary basis.

Scott was elected ARSA in 1950.

The memorial was cast by H.H.Martyn & Co in Cheltenham and unveiled by the Queen Mother on 27 September 1952.

The 1/3 model for the sculpture was given to the museum for No. 4 Commando in Normandy

by Mr Donald Gilchrist.

In addition to his teaching duties, Scott also demonstrated his

skill in practical demonstrations at local art societies and sometimes completed and exhibited the resulting work

. The coat of arms above the entrance to the National Library of Scotland, which was opened in 1956 was carved by Scott.

When the Caird Hall was built in the early 20th Century, the previous Town House, known as the Pillars, designed by William Adam

On Saturday, 24 January 1959, a statue of Robert Burns, carved in stone by Scott was unveiled in Arbroath by the Earl of Airlie.

On 15 October of the same year, a memorial to the memory of all ranks of the 4th and 5th Dundee and Angus Battalions of the Black Watch sculpted by Scott and erected on Powrie Brae near Dundee was unveiled by the Queen Mother.