22/08/2026
The Most HATED Statue in Scotland!
The Mannie. Ben Bhraggie, Scotland 🏴
Looking down over the village of Golspie is one of the most controversial monuments in the Scottish Highlands.
Known locally as “The Mannie,” this enormous monument commemorates George Leveson-Gower, the 1st Duke of Sutherland — a man whose name became forever associated with the Highland Clearances.
Completed in 1837, the monument dominates the summit of Ben Bhraggie and can be seen for miles along the Sutherland coast. But for many, the figure standing high above the landscape represents a deeply painful chapter in Highland history.
During the Sutherland Clearances, thousands of people were removed from their traditional homes as vast areas of the estate were reorganised, particularly for large-scale sheep farming. Entire communities disappeared from the inland glens, with many families forced towards the coast or ultimately leaving Scotland altogether.
Unsurprisingly, the monument has remained deeply controversial. There have been campaigns to have it removed or relocated, as well as acts of vandalism and attempts to bring it down.
Others argue that The Mannie should remain exactly where he stands — not necessarily as a celebration of the Duke, but as a permanent reminder of what happened here.
Nearly 190 years after it was erected, the figure still looks down across Sutherland…and the debate surrounding him continues.
Would you leave The Mannie standing — or remove him?
