IN RECENT weeks traffic cones have begun appearing on top of a variety of statues in Edinburgh, following a trend which originated in Glasgow, but has finally spread to the capital after going global with the Tartan Army during the World Cup.
Statues of Adam Smith, Alexander the Great, and Sherlock Holmes, as well as fire service founder, James Braidwood, have all been “coned”.
At one point, the Duke of Wellington statue, outside Register House on the east end of Princes Street, sported three cones: one on the Duke’s head, one on the horse’s head, and one across Copenhagen’s knee.
The traffic-cone-on-statue gag originated in Glasgow, where, since the 1980s, a traffic cone has been balanced on the head of their own Duke of Wellington statue.
Whenever the city council removes the cone, it is persistently replaced by late night revellers and pranksters.
It even spread overseas with Scotland fans decorating statues in Miami and Boston in a similar fashion.
While for many the trend is a piece of harmless fun, others have failed to see the humorous side, with some officials warning that placing cones on statues may be causing damage to some of the city’s beloved landmarks.
In a statement on social media, The New Town and Broughton Community Council drew attention to damage to the Sherlock Holmes Statue on Picardy Place: “Poor Sherlock! Take a look at these photographs taken this evening. The pale, crumbling sandstone at the base of our Sherlock Holmes statue tells the story we’ve been highlighting, damage caused by people recklessly placing cones on top of our lovely statues.
“This isn’t just unsightly, it’s preventable destruction of our community’s heritage. A lifetime of damage for just five minutes of fun. Not worth it. Sad to see.”
The damage is thought to be coming less so from the decorations themselves, and more as a result of people clambering up the statue while brandishing cones.
The City of Edinburgh Council’s Transport Convener recognised the light-hearted nature of the practice, but pointed out further concerns about the safety of the public.
He said: “Whilst I’m sure these have been put up in good humour and with the best intentions, we need to consider the safety of the public above all.
“Unsecured traffic cones could potentially cause injury or present a road safety hazard, which is why they’ve been removed.
“I think we can all agree that there is only one statue in Scotland that has truly immortalised the cone, so I’d urge people to not attempt any imitations.”
