A ONE-TONNE hand-sculpted wicker Beltie bull is set to become a centrepiece of this week’s Royal Highland Showcase.

The artworks project has been led by Cathy Agnew on behalf of Fiona Armstrong, honorary president of the Royal Highland and Agricultural Society of Scotland (RHASS), and her president’s initiative which is seeking to showcase the best of Dumfries and Galloway’s farming, culture and heritage.

Each year RHASS invites a different region to act as “host”, allowing it to highlight the best of its rural economy – and this year, it’s the turn of Dumfries and Galloway.

The bull was made by willow artist and sculptor Trevor Leat, whose figures are familiar from Edinburgh’s Hogmanay celebrations, the Wickerman music festivals and a variety of National Trust for Scotland properties.

Leat said: “This was a wonderful project to take part in.”