A huge Dons fan has received a calf-sized tattoo to pay homage to Aberdeen – despite living in Glasgow.
Amy Lee Fraioli, 23, got the image of Andy Scott’s iconic ‘Poised’ sculpture tattooed on her calf on Friday morning – dedicating the majority of her lower left leg to the leopard.
The tattoo is coloured in a vibrant purple – much like the sculpture itself by night as it lights up inside Marischal Square.
Visiting Aberdeen as a child on her way to Shetland, Miss Fraioli vowed to come back to explore the city – now completely falling in love with it.
She described the city as “honestly amazing”, saying: “Places like Old Aberdeen – to have that right between the sea and the city, it’s something I don’t think you get in Glasgow, Edinburgh or anywhere else.”
“This is just somewhere, especially during lockdown over the past two years, I have really enjoyed coming for a bit of an escape and a change of scenery.
“I have loved Aberdeen for a very very long time and I just felt like it was important to recognise that.”
‘I love the accents and the people’
Also a lover of “the people and the accents”, the Glaswegian loves spending much of her time by the beach front.
She said: “There is no better feeling than waking up early in the morning and going on a run down at the beach and 10 minutes later being in the city centre and going to the shops or whatever – it’s just something I don’t think you can do anywhere else in the same way.”
But it’s not just the landscape that brings Miss Fraioli back weekend after weekend – because she is also a season ticket holder for Aberdeen F.C.
“I come up for every home game, I live in Glasgow and work in Edinburgh and try to get to Aberdeen every weekend so I’m all over the place,” she said.
“I have become quite invested in it a must say, I follow the club very closely.
“We come up for all of the home games and I also follow them away because I feel it is my duty to turn up on a Wednesday night in the cold when everybody else is travelling 100 miles from up here.”
But sadly due to her role as a researcher within the Scottish Parliament, the Granite City remains a holiday destination for Miss Fraioli – for now.
As well as paying tribute to her “favourite city”, the 23-year-old also wanted to commemorate Andy Scott himself as she made ‘Poised’ a permanent fixture on her leg.
“I remember the first time I had ever saw ‘Poised’, I knew straight away it was Andy Scott’s work because it is very obviously in his style,” she said.
“It lights up purple at night so I thought it would be a really lovely thing to get as it contrasts quite well with my bright hair.”
Now just one of 10 inkings, Miss Fraioli is “absolutely delighted” with the work done by Sarah Coulson at Sailor Max Tattoo Parlour – and has travelled from Glasgow to the George Street shop for almost every one of her tattoos.
“That’s another reason I always come up because once you find a tattoo artist you like you want to stick with them. I often travel all this way just for a tattoo,” she said.
“Sarah has been tattooing me for years and I knew she would do a good job of it but I was so shocked at how well she made it look like the statue itself – she has done a fantastic job.”
This article originally appeared on the Evening Express website. For more information, read about our new combined website.