Sutherland-based artist Gavin Lockhart has been commissioned to undertake the next stage of public art at John O’Groats, with a series of works celebrating the dramatic and changing coastline of Caithness.

Following a public meeting last year on the future artistic shape of John O’Groats, Highlands and Islands Enterprise (HIE) sought professional artists to transform the coast around the village.

Titled "Path", Gavin’s concept is to create permanent artworks along the coastal paths at John O'Groats. These will be designed to create a reminder of the beaches that used to dominate the coast - before much of the sand was removed for the war effort during World War Two. Sand from the once-famous 2.5 mile long beach was used as a soil improver on fields due to its high shell content as part of the "Dig for Victory" campaign.

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The artist, who created the popular sail project at the John O’Groats Transform weekend last year, plans to develop a trail of six Caithness stones leading people along the path to view the outstanding coastline across the Pentland Firth to Orkney. Each stone will be carved with images taken from photographs of similar beaches to those originally at John O’Groats and placed to allow use as seating and rest areas.

The work should be in place by summer 2012.

Gavin commented: "It’s a shock to realise that this rugged, rocky shore was in living memory a beautiful white sandy beach and deserves us to look upon this landscape with a little more consideration of its historical sacrifice."

(GK)