An art form known as 'archetypal abstractionism' was given a treemendous boost last Wednesday (6th September) when ten giant sculptures carved from local wood were installed in a new sculpture garden at Feshiebridge.

The massive pieces by sculptor Frank Bruce were hoisted in place by a 90 ft giant crane . "Flying by wire", one onlooker joked as a huge tree trunk carved in human form glided surreally over the garden wall.

Artist Frank, who has entrusted his life's work to the care of the Forestry Commission, praised the team involved in transporting and safely settling everything into place. He said "It's really great to see how well everybody has worked together. I transported the whole collection myself from Aviemore to Banff in the 1980s after forestry bosses at that time backed out of a plan to display my work here locally. We seem to have come full circle now though in a very positive way. I'm just glad I didn't have to shift all the sculptures myself this time!"

For the man in charge of the operation, forestry engineer Bob Maine, the actual move was only the final step in a difficult job involving months of careful planning. He said: "It's always a relief when things go well. There were many practical, strategic and safety factors to be considered. Risk assessments are crucial to a job of this kind. We were on a very tight schedule. Fortunately, we'd got all our sums right and as soon as the administrative and legal aspects had been worked out we were able to move very quickly to have the main pieces in place in time for autumn."

The sculptures, some weighing 4.5 tons, were lifted into position by LAS Plant Ltd, Inverness, part of the Tulloch group of companies. As a party of children from Lagganlia Outdoor Education Centre stopped to marvel at the sight, their instructor, Roger Gaff from Kincraig, was particularly pleased to be present. He said: "This really is amazing. I met Frank over twenty years ago when he was busy carving some of these sculptures from wind-blown trees in Inshriach forest. I'd always wondered where they'd end up and I'm delighted that they've come back here where they really belong. It's fascinating to see how they've changed through exposure to the elements and it'll be interesting to see even more transformations through the years to come."

Scottish Arts Council chairman, Richard Holloway, has described the collection as being of "Vital importance and a real asset to the whole Cairngorms area".

Many of the pieces use the natural lines of the wood to make their statement. For example, in 'Two Patriots' the division of the trunk makes the point that in war we fight ourselves. In the words of the artist, "To make a war a patriot on both sides is needed but everybody loses. Eighty per cent of casualties are civilians. "

The Frank Bruce Sculpture Collection is located in Inshriach forest, near Feshiebridge. Entry is free with car parking and open access at most times.

Forestry Commission Scotland's Active Woods initiative aims to encourage more people to enjoy a full range of activities in Scotland’s woods and forests. For more information, log on to www.forestry.gov.uk/activewoods  or telephone the local forest recreation ranger on 01479 861220