A MUCH-MALIGNED piece of public art erected to welcome visitors to the National Park is set to finally disappear in the next few weeks – after many years of criticism.

The sculpture at the Stoneymollan roundabout in Balloch, depicting a flock of geese –though some think they look more like ducks – rising into flight in between a series of columns, has been beset by complaints ever since it was completed in the mid-2000s, with residents claiming that it was both ugly and a distraction that posed a road safety risk.

The birds were removed last October after some of them were damaged in high winds – prompting fresh complaints since then that the sculpture looked even worse in its half-finished state than it did when it was complete.

And now Amey, the roads maintenance company responsible for the roundabout, and the artwork, says that what remains of the £800,000 sculpture will be taken away in the coming weeks – and that it won’t be returning.

Local minister and Reporter columnist Rev Ian Miller – never a fan of the artwork – was inspired to write about it in his column in this week’s edition, after noticing the poor condition of the pillars when driving home following a funeral in Luss.

He said: “There is still great antipathy towards the edifice.

“The ducks have gone and it certainly looks pretty neglected, with bits of wood lying around, pieces of metal hanging down, and at at least one of the pillars broken.

“So for my money it’s reached the end of the road.”

In response to the early criticism, the structure received a makeover in 2014 as part of an upgrade of the roundabout, with the ‘outline’ geese replaced by filled-in versions – since when, the criticism of the artwork has died down.

But with more ‘staycation’ visitors expected in the area later this year if and when Scotland’s Covid lockdown restrictions are eased, Amey has decided that following the damage caused to the birds last autumn, the time has come to take the sculpture away completely.

A spokesperson said: “Amey should be removing the rest of the structure in the next few weeks and most of it has already been removed.

“It was damaged in the storms last year beyond repair, and there are no plans for it to be replaced.

“We are in early discussions with the park about what will go back, but we’re not in a position to confirm that yet.”