Keep the Heid! Here he is, in all of his majestic splendor! The Lord Byron Statue At The Swiss Cottage, Neilsland c. 1940’s, with his head intact. Gathering up his cloak with his left hand and clasping a book in his right, he settles down in a seated position within the tranquil surroundings to take rest and gaze out on the pond, in an afternoon’s repose.
In the foreground of the photograph you can see the entrance and exit point of a small water drainage channel that led away from the rockery and down towards the weir. Behind Lord Byron and some rhododendron shrubs is a more close-up and detailed front view of The Swiss Cottage.
The photograph was kindly sent to me by William McIntosh. He informed me that at the time the photograph was taken there were at least three statues located at the site; 1): Lord Byron, 2): Robert Burns and 3): Mary Of Argyle. The Burns statue was located near the Swiss Cottage and the correct title for the statue is “the figure….resting from the plough” or “Burns….resting from the plough”. The sculpture was recently purchased by the Carluke Parish Historical Society and placed in an undisclosed safe location until a permanent site can be found. The Mary Of Argyle statue was positioned near the small original stone bridge and its current location is unknown.
Hamilton Historian. Terry Murphy 