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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
National
Alasdair Clark

Edinburgh weather: Iconic Antony Gormley statue in Leith gets winter surf look

After a night of sub zero temperatures left many of the city's water ways frozen, one statue in the Water of Leith was left with a restyled look.

As ice on the surface of the Water of Leith started to break away, ice at the feet of one of Antony Gormley sculptures that stands near Stockbridge made the statue look like it was surfing.

It's one of four figures installed along the Water of Leith, and it's not the first time the statues have changed their look either.

Back in April last year, one of the figures in Bonnington was given a coronavirus makeover after locals spotted it sporting a mask.

The statue got a winter look with an ice snowboard (Daily Record)

And in 2019, one local helped maintain one of the figure's modesty, helping it into a pair of Tennent's boxers.

Turner-prize winning artist Antony Gormley installed the six life-sized figures in 2010, with four positioned at different points between the Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art (SNGMA) and the sea.

The four sculptures are part of Antony Gormley's 6 TIMES collection, and they are so lifelike there has often been calls to the emergency services from people thinking someone is in the water.

And whilst they can be a little unsettling, locals love them - so much so there was an outcry when they were removed in 2012 due to structural issues.

The Stockbridge sculpture's latest makeover was likely down to temperatures plummeting overnight as weather forecasters warned of an "extreme freeze".

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Water ways across Edinburgh and the Lothians froze over as some parts of the city saw the mercury drop to -13C after days of heavy snow.

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