Last updated: 25 December 2023
If you’re planning a road trip through Scotland and will be travelling between Glasgow and Stirling on the M80 then we highly recommend that you keep an eye open for Arria, the 10m (or 33ft tall) metal mermaid who sits atop a hill overlooking the M80 welcoming visitors to Cumbernauld.
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This impressive work is from famed international sculptor, Andy Scott, the genius behind other popular works of art such as The Kelpies, Beacon of Hope, and the Dunbar Bear.
There’s no missing Arria when you’re driving north along the M80 motorway towards Stirling as she stands tall like a fabulous lighthouse draped in a flowing disco gown complete with the perfectly coiffed 1960’s hairstyle.
READ MORE: Looking for road trip ideas from Glasgow? Read this post!
Why Did We Stop For a Visit to Arria?
As a pair of Aussie travellers who love discovering the new and different, it was too good an opportunity to pass up stopping and saying hello to the Arria sculpture the moment we saw it. After all, we’ve stopped for photos with The Dun Bear, a five metre tall sculpture of a standing brown bear, when travelling through Dunbar. The Dun Bear is another fantastic sculpture by Arria creator, Andy Scott.
Who is Arria?
The welded-metal statue was commissioned by the Campsies Centre Cumbernauld Ltd as part of the Cumbernauld Positive Image Project and created by internationally renowned artist – Andy Scott.
The Arria sculpture takes the form of a woman wearing an outfit which has two flowing loops which stretch from her hands to the bottom of her dress. The loops are representative of the Gaelic name of Cumbernauld – comar nan allt – which translates to the meeting of the streams.
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What Does “Arria” Mean?
There was a public competition held to name the new icon of Cumbernauld and ultimately it was locals, Bethany and Louise Reid, who suggested the name – Arria. The name is based on Arria Fadilla, mother of Roman Emperor Antoninus – who was responsible for the construction of the Antonine Wall, located only a 15 min drive away.
The name Arria had historical connections with the Cumbernauld region, it was name of Roman Emperor Antoninus Pius’ mother, Arria Fadilla. It was Emperor Antoninus who ordered the construction of the Antonine Wall, a mostly turf wall which reached 3 metres tall and stretched across the entirety of Scotland (Cumbernauld is located a mere two miles from the line of the Antonine Wall).
How Many Arms Do You See?
Oh by the way, did you notice that Arria has 4 arms?!
Believe it or not, I don’t think I even noticed until Roma pointed it out to me! Two arms wide open to embrace passing motorists and welcome them to the town of Cumbernauld AND two arms high above her head!
Now if you’re sitting there reading this post wondering why does she have 4 arms then you’re not alone! We are still wondering about that! If you have any ideas then let us know in the comments below 👇
And speaking of comments, we received a really insightful comment from Anon who shared that their daughter had done some research and discovered that Arria depicts a mythical siren, complete with a split tail. Sirens were traditionally depicted as a evil creatures who would lure sailors towards them with their heavenly singing and ultimately leading to shipwrecks on the rocks. This is a great theory and definitely gave us something to ponder.
Getting There
One thing we did notice which will be helpful for you to know is getting to Arria is a little challenging and Google Maps may not be the best option for this one. The navigation will take you into a quiet residential area with no obvious carpark.
If you follow the Google Maps instructions and happen to find a spare space then you will find a small path which will lead you up to the Arria sculpture. One consideration is that Google Maps does get updated often so it is entirely possible that it will be updated to reflect better parking instructions. If this is the case on your visit please do let us know as we will welcome the feedback.
Another option you may want to try is parking at the Eastfield Cemetery since the monument is located directly behind the cemetery. We didn’t park at the cemetery so I am not entirely sure of the parking regulations so just keep an eye open for any parking restrictions.
During Your Visit
Now one thing you may notice about Arria when you get up close to the sculpture is that it’s a little challenging to find the best angle for your photo. If you walk around the front then you realise that don’t have enough space before you’d end up dropping onto the M80 so you end up with a photo like the below. Distance is going to be your best friend when it comes to photographing the Arria sculpture.
Did you know that Arria is lit up in the evenings? If you’re planning a visit then perhaps you might be interested in seeing the sculpture in a completely different light.
Watershed, a poem by Scottish poet Jim Carruth is located at base of Arria so it’s worthwhile taking a walk all the way around to read it.
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Have you heard of “The Kelpies?”
As mentioned earlier, Arria was created by Andy Scott, who is the sculptor behind the popular and absolutely incredible work of art, The Kelpies, located in The Helix Park -which is between Falkirk and Grangemouth, Scotland. They are located just off the M9 motorway which makes them the perfect stop for your next road trip through Scotland.
The Kelpies are a colossal 30m (98ft) tall sculpture of two horse heads which weigh a staggering 300 tonnes!
The Kelpies is one of the most well-known sculptures in Scotland and is visited by over 350,000 people annually. If a visit to The Kelpies wasn’t on your To Visit List before, has it been added now?
You might also be interested to know that there is an Andy Scott Sculpture Trail where you can visit six works of art designed for the Clackmannanshire Council, all within a 60 min drive and not too far from Arria.
The six works of art are;
- The Journey’s End
- I Can See for Miles
- River Spirit
- Air Spirit
- Fox Boy
- Lifeline
Final Thoughts
It is my hope that you’re reading this whilst planning a road trip to Scotland and you’re looking for new and different things to add to your To Visit List. Happy travels!
Have you visited Arria, The Kelpies, or the Dunbar Bear before?
What did you think? Let us know in the comments below
Looking for things to do in Glasgow? Get started below
Great to have more information on Arria however just one correction which has angered many and that is The Kelpies are not in Falkirk but they and the Helix are in Grangemouth. Falkirk football stadium and Arnold Clark’s of Falkirk are also in Grangemouth. We do have Falkirk postcodes and come under Falkirk District Council, but Grangemouth and other areas don’t like the fact we are losing our identities.Sorry for the rant 🙎🏼♀️🙋🏼♀️
Hi, Kaz. Thanks for taking the time to leave a comment, we do appreciate it. It’s really helpful to have your local insight and I’ve amended the post to align with that of Visit Scotland. Thanks again and we will make sure that we stop by Grangemouth when we’re next on the road.
Right there in Eastfield Cemetery lies a very special and dear friend who passed away from cancer. When her son told me she was buried there, he said “Arria is watching over my mother”… I had no idea what he meant. When we arrived, I was so awestruck. So overwhelmed! My goodness, this is just incredible!!!
Even as I type this, I have tears streaming down my face. Arria is the most breath-taking and stunning “being” I have ever witnessed. She is lovely. After I paid my respects, her son brought me to Arria’s location which is literally right there. I was overwhelmed by this amazing creation. We do not have anything like her in New Hampshire (USA)… We dont even have anything remotely close to the Kelpies (another breath-taking creation!)… I took many photos to take back home with me.
If this bullshit Covid ever decides to finally get rid of itself, I know I will be returning to Scotland again. Arria and The Kelpies are the first on my list to go back again and experience this all over.
Hi Melanie,
Thanks for the kind comment, it’s a touching place and I know exactly the cemetery you refer to, and her son is right, Arria does indeed watch over your friend.
I’m really pleased you were able to visit and take some photos home with you. Covid can’t last forever, and Scotland awaits you.
🙂
[…] in to get a closer look. Skip Google Maps, you’ll get lost. Follow our post about Arria to ensure you make it to where you need to be. She’s illuminated at night and makes a stunning […]
I drive past the statue often on the way to visit my parents in Dundee. My children affectionately have named her The Glasgow Lady as she was our indicator that we’d left Glasgow or vice versa that we were close to home on our return. My 9 year old daughter was curious about the sculpture so did some research upon which she discovered that the Arria depicts a mythical siren. Notably sirens tails are split into two which differentiates them from mermaids. Sirens were often depicted as evil creatures who would lure sailors to their demise with their singing and their beauty which would explain that slightly unnerving look about her.
That is fantastic insight about the sirens! Thank you so much for sharing! I knew about about the luring of sailors but wasn’t aware of their tails split into two! That makes a lot of sense. Thanks for letting us know, Anon.
Has she not got the 4 arms to make it look like she is swimming she is a mermaid i think
That’s a really interesting point, Taylor! Thanks for the insight 👍
I used to see this angel on my way back home in the wagon, the joy she filled me as I knew I wasn’t far. Plus to look at, she is a thing of beauty.
It’s always nice to have a landmark so that you know it’s only a few more miles to your front door.
Four armed is forwarned. Whats with all the heathen sculpture now dominating public spaces?
Not a fan of Arria, Ava?
I guess that’s one thing which is so great about art, it’s all subjective. Do you have another work of art which you appreciate?
Arria is a Roman who remained 🙂
Woow, this looks really amazing,
This is really on my have to do list before i get into my 40’s
Keep posting,
Kind regards
Stefanie
Thanks Stefanie, we will keep posting 🙂