The spectacular Weeping Window display at Perth’s Black Watch Museum has been visited by more than 30,000 people since it opened to the public just four weeks ago.
The Fair City became the first place in mainland Scotland to host the poignant armistice-theme sculpture, which is made up of thousands of ceramic poppies.
The artwork is part of the Blood Swept Lands display that drew millions to the Tower of London in 2014.
On Tuesday, visitors continued to flock to the museum including war veterans Eddie Melville, Peter Mitchell and John Mitchell from the city’s Balhousie North Grove and North Inch care homes.
Local MP John Swinney praised the installation. “The Weeping Window is an excellent, breath-taking display, and I am very pleased that so many people have already paid a visit to Balhousie Castle, to view it,” he said.
“I was very impressed by the display when I visited it during the opening weekend, earlier this month. It is a very fitting, poignant tribute to those who lost their lives in the First World War and it is clearly proving to be a very successful, popular attraction.”
Mr Swinney said: “I hope that as many people as possible will take the opportunity to visit the Weeping Window, before the end of its run on 25 September, and also to visit the excellent Black Watch Museum to learn more about the Great War.”
It is unclear how many visitors will visit Balhousie during the poppies’ three-month stay. About 40,000 saw them in Orkney, while about 350,000 visitors flocked to the installation at Liverpool.
The display is one of two sculptures by artist Paul Cummins and designer Tom Piper which were commissioned by the 14-18 NOW art group.
Mr Cummins said Balhousie was an ideal location. “Everywhere we take the sculpture, its always going to be different. The castle has been a great place for us. The window where the poppies appear to be coming from is 7m high, which is the same height it was in London. The economic benefits of this are going to be extraordinary.”
Mr Piper added: “It will really bring people out together to see something that they can relate to and talk about afterwards.”
