Editing Braveheart (section)

=== Wallace Monument ===
[[File:Braveheart Statue Sep 2007.jpg|thumb|Tom Church's controversial statue of Gibson as Wallace]]
In 1997, a {{convert|12|ft|adj=on}}, {{convert|13|t|adj=on}} [[sandstone]] statue depicting Mel Gibson as William Wallace in ''Braveheart'' was placed in the car park of the [[Wallace Monument]] near [[Stirling]], Scotland. The statue, which was the work of Tom Church, a [[Stonemasonry|monumental mason]] from [[Brechin]],<ref name="courer">{{cite web|url=http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2009/10/16/newsstory13954661t0.asp |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091020180051/http://www.thecourier.co.uk/output/2009/10/16/newsstory13954661t0.asp |url-status=dead |archive-date=October 20, 2009 |work=[[The Courier (Dundee)|The Courier]] |title=Wallace statue back at home of sculptor |access-date=October 17, 2009 |date=October 16, 2009 }}</ref> included the word 'Braveheart' on Wallace's shield. The installation became the cause of much controversy; one local resident stated that it was wrong to "desecrate the main memorial to Wallace with a lump of crap".<ref>{{cite web|author=Hal G. P. Colebatch |url=http://www.spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=10191 |title=The American Spectator |publisher=Spectator.org |date=August 8, 2006 |access-date=February 27, 2009|archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20071012014011/http://spectator.org/dsp_article.asp?art_id=10191 |archive-date=October 12, 2007}}</ref>

In 1998, someone wielding a hammer vandalized the statue's face. After repairs were made, the statue was encased in a cage every night to prevent further vandalism. This only incited more calls for the statue to be removed, as it then appeared that the Gibson/Wallace figure was imprisoned. The statue was described as "among the most loathed pieces of public art in Scotland".<ref>{{cite web |url=http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/williamwallace/They-may-take-our-lives.2565370.jp |title=They may take our lives but they won't take Freedom |author=Kevin Hurley |work=[[Scotland on Sunday]] |date=September 19, 2004 |access-date=October 16, 2009 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20091101183916/http://scotlandonsunday.scotsman.com/williamwallace/They-may-take-our-lives.2565370.jp |archive-date=November 1, 2009 |url-status=dead }}</ref> In 2008, the statue was returned to its sculptor to make room for a new visitor centre being built at the foot of the Wallace Monument.<ref name="bbc_statue_removed">{{cite news |title=Wallace statue back with sculptor |url=http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/8310614.stm |work=BBC News |date=October 16, 2009 |access-date=October 16, 2009 |archive-date=August 24, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20170824174510/http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/tayside_and_central/8310614.stm |url-status=live }}</ref>