On the first day of Christmas, the city council gave to us: the return of festive wooden sculptures.
Twelve unique and chainsaw-carved totem pole works have been placed across the city centre today as part of Christmas in Aberdeen.
Created by local artist Gary Shand, the carvings represent the popular Christmas carol The Twelve Days of Christmas.
The trail is a popular challenge for families and friends vying to spot as many as they can during their visits.
Council culture spokeswoman Marie Boulton said: “The carvings are a wonderful tribute to the famous carol that brings festive cheer across the city. The Twelve Days of Christmas Sculpture Trail activates city centre spaces by taking visitors on a tour of Aberdeen and encourages them to stay longer in each area, helping to boost the local economy.”
Mr Shand lost £20,000 worth of stock and equipment when a fire tore through his workshop on the outskirts of Keith in May.
But he remained determined to fulfill orders – even if that meant working from a tent. And supporters rallied round him in his hour of need, pledging almost £4,000 to an online funding page set up in the aftermath of the blaze.
Reflecting on a tumultuous few months, he said: “I’ve been getting back on my feet and people have been very supportive.
“I have had to go back to basics, working from a tent, and I am slowly but surely accumulating replacements for the equipment I lost in the fire.”
He added: “It is a nice thought that the sculptures are now part of the Christmas landscape in Aberdeen.”
HOW TO FIND THEM
1) Partridge in a pear tree – Castlegate
2) Two turtle doves – Aberdeen Arts Centre
3) Three French hens – St Nicholas Kirkyard
4) Four calling birds – Broad Street
5) Five gold rings – St Nicholas Street
6) Six geese a laying – Bon Accord Centre
7) Seven swans swimming – Rosemount Viaduct
8) Eight maids a-milking – Rose Street
9) Nine ladies dancing – George Street
10) Ten lords a-leaping – Schoolhill
11) Eleven pipers piping – Union Square
12) Twelve drummers drumming – The Green