THE oldest William Wallace statue is now well-heeled – after undergoing emergency repairs.

There were fears for the future of the 9.5 metre tall sandstone sculpture in the Borders after evidence emerged of cracks to its plinth and serious wear to its sword and Saltire-covered shield.

Dating back to 1814, the memorial, near St Boswells, is understood to be the first ever Wallace monument and is cared for by the William Wallace Trust.

Concerns over its condition were raised in February by a member of the Society of William Wallace, with the trust accused of having neglected its duties.

But trust head Jesse Rae – a celebrated funk musician known for his eye-catching election campaigns and elaborate claymore-and-kilt attire – said plans had been laid out for remedial works, telling The National: “As long as I’m alive, I’ll guarantee it’s going nowhere.”

Now the first phase is complete and further details have emerged about the scale of the problem.

Bassist Rae – who collaborated with US artists in the 1970s and 80s and is said to have inspired the hit movie Highlander – said the sculpture had been “in a sad way”.

Water was “seeping in through Wallace’s heels” and exiting from the front of the bottom of the plinth – weakening the plinth that support’s the giant figure’s weight.

This has now been repaired, while loose flagstones and overgrowth from the surrounding vegetation have been removed to improve safety and the visibility of the landmark, which overlooks the River Tweed.

It was commissioned by David Steuart Erskine, the 11th Earl of Buchan, and last underwent conservation work in 1991 thanks to £20,000 in funding from the Saltire Society.

The most recent efforts were completed on May 28.

Rae said this was later than had been hoped because “conditions had to be frost-free” and “virus restrictions held us up”.

Next, he hopes to commission repairs to the figure itself. The trust is using its online funk music streaming channel, available at www.wwtv.scot, to generate funds.

Rae, who has hit out at city-based tour operators who bring “thousands” of people there every year but don’t give “anything for the upkeep of the ground and the statue”, is asking visitors to send photographs of themselves at the statue to the contact details at the website, “and possibly a small donation”.

He stated: “We paid for emergency repairs but any assistance frae the public or private would be much appreciated – as it will be expensive.”

To donate or for more information, email jesse.rae@wwtv.scot