Volunteers from the Inverness Men’s Shed have made two beautiful oak benches in the shape of a butterfly and a bee which were installed at the Muirtown Basin of the Caledonian Canal in Inverness last Wednesday.
These benches conclude a community project which was started last year with the sowing of wild flower seeds between the Muirtown Bridge and the scout hut. This was a collaboration between the Scottish Waterways Trust (SWT), Muirton Primary School and the Inverness Men’s Shed (IMS).
The benches represent the insects that pollinate the wild flowers. There has been a good show of the annual wild flowers this year but next year’s show promises to be even better when the perennial flowers also appear.
The benches were made with oak donated to the Shed but, once the wings and bodies were cut to shape, the parts were put together with invaluable help from McGregor Construction Ltd in the Longman who gave their services free of charge to the two charities SWT and IMS.
The Shedders attached the legs and installed the benches in the company of the SWT Heritage Officer, Stephen Wiseman, based at Muirtown, and children and teachers from the school some of whom sowed the seeds last year.
It is hoped the butterfly and bee will enhance the canal banks for many years to come and be enjoyed, and sat upon, by many passers-by.