The famous Robert the Bruce statue and rotunda at Borestone have been vandalised.
Paint daubed on the rotunda with the words “robert was a racist bring down the statue” was discovered this morning
And splashed on the foot of the statue was “racist king BLM Black Lives Matter”.
Bannockburn resident Kaz Brown from Station Road was on the scene as soon as she saw a picture of the graffiti which had been shared on Facebook.
Armed with cleaning materials, she told the Observer: “This is disgusting. It’s not happening here, not in Bannockburn.”
Others - including rugby players from Bannockburn RFC - have offered their help to clean up Charles d’Orville Pilkington Jackson designed statue which was unveiled on June 24, 1964 by Her Majesty the Queen.
Bannockburn SNP councillor Alasdair Macpherson described the damage to the statue as appalling. He said: “The comments painted on the statue are ill-informed. Robert Bruce pre-dated slavery. This is wanton vandalism. It’s heartbreaking to see.
“I hope the police catch the culprits."
Last week it was revealed that the visitor centre beside the rotunda and statue could be closed until 2022.
The £9million facility is set to be mothballed by the National Trust for Scotland as part of cost-cutting Covid-19 recovery plans.
Bannockburn Visitor Centre set to be closed until 2022 due to coronavirus cuts
Councillor Macpherson added: "This took place only a few days after National Trust for Scotland's decision to mothball the site. This has left it susceptible to vandalism.
“The NTS need to provide security to keep an eye on the place.”
NTS general manager for Edinburgh and East Stuart Maxwell said: “We are very disappointed by the vandalism of the iconic Bruce statue at Bannockburn and the A listed rotunda.
“This comes at a time when our charity is suffering serious financial hardship and this is a cost we could do without.
“We would like to thank the local community for their support in responding so quickly to this incident. A contractor will visit the site this afternoon.”
