THE now world-famous Scottish tradition of placing traffic cones on statues could soon be in the running for official Unesco recognition.
An expression of interest has been submitted by YMCA Scotland to have the act of “coning a statue” recognised by Unesco’s Living Heritage project.
The campaign has been inspired by the Tartan Army’s exploits in the United States, where Scotland fans went viral for placing traffic cones atop statues in both Boston and Miami, with Bostonians even continuing the tradition after the Tartan Army’s departure.
The charity will now spend the next year gathering stories and opinions from Scots about what the tradition means to them to build “community consent” for their application.
Speaking to The National, YMCA Scotland’s Peter Gilchrist said the Tartan Army’s actions overseas had showcased a more positive vision of Scottish masculinity.
“Had the Tartan Army not led with absolute love, then coning a statue could have been seen as an act of disrespect,” he said.
“But people have been captured by it because we’re singing in the streets, helping people across the road and cleaning up after ourselves.”
Gilchrist said the cone had become a symbol of Scottish humour, community and rebellion.
“There is no coning foundation. There is no campaign to have cones placed on statues,” he said.
“Nobody owns this tradition and nobody organises it. It belongs to everyone, and that’s why people feel such affection for it.”
The Unesco bid follows an open letter written by YMCA Scotland thanking the Tartan Army for being positive role models to Scotland’s young men.
The letter, which has been viewed more than two million times online, said: “You showed an entire generation of young Scottish men what it means to be a force for good.
“Through tens of thousands of small acts towards the common good, you have represented the very best of our nation on the world stage and shown that there is strength in personal responsibility, without sacrificing your ability to have a good time.”
Gilchrist said the thousands of comments praising the Tartan Army’s behaviour inspired the Unesco bid, with the traffic cone emerging as an unlikely symbol of positive Scottish masculinity.
The proposal forms part of a wider initiative called Big Man Wee Man, which aims to encourage positive male role models and improve support for young men’s mental health.
The campaign will highlight men making positive contributions to their communities and raise funds for research into the lives of young men in Scotland and mental health intervention programmes.
“What we’ve seen with the Tartan Army is the power of men being positive role models,” Gilchrist said.
“When men lead with love, community and being a good neighbour, they can be celebrated all around the world.”
