The Tillydrone Tops, Tillydrone, Aberdeen

7 November 2024

In May 2023 I completed “The Tillydrone Tops” for the Tillydrone Gateway Project on community land by the River Don in Aberdeen. Working with fabricators Blueton in Denny, this ascending series of sculptures were created to encapsulate the spirit of Tillydrone and moves from small cast iron pieces through to larger sculptures made of Cor-ten steel. The works suggest a set of spinning tops, growing forms that closely reference key features of Tillydrone’s social, industrial, and natural identity.

The ‘Tops’ indicate the mills that took their energy for shuttling, spinning, and weaving, from water wheels powered by the river. Today the nearby Hydro creates energy from the same source. Paper and textile mills used to be sited along this part of the river Don and as such, the river is an essential part of Tillydrone’s existence.

The flora and fauna of the banks of the Don inspired elements that weave into the forms of the sculptures – a process of growth that begins with the small cast iron ‘seedlings. These cogged forms have the feel of seed pods – the founding points for the other works – and the text on them highlights specific aspects of Tillydrone, past and present.

The use of cast iron reflects the industrial legacy of Tillydrone, echoed in the rich, earthy tones of the Cor-ten steel, as well as giving a sense of the cycle of nature along the river.

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