A life-size bronze puffin, measuring 30 cm high, is now set to spend the next eight months mirroring the natural habits of its real-life counterparts by wintering at sea aboard a ferry which travels between Aberdeen and the Northern Isles.  Today (31 August), the puffin adventurer will be given a celebrity farewell from Angus Purden, Postcode Challenge presenter and People’s Postcode Lottery ambassador.

Created by Eddie Hallam, a renowned sculptor from Derbyshire who makes life-size bronze sculptures by spending time on Scottish islands researching and sketching seabirds, this puffin has been donated to the Scottish Wildlife Trust to help raise funds and awareness for the charity’s work to protect all of Scotland’s wildlife for the future.

The plan to attach the work of art to NorthLink ferry, the MV Hrossey, for the winter was hatched by Eddie, and the idea was immediately supported by NorthLink Ferries, the Scottish Wildlife Trust, People’s Postcode Lottery and VisitScotland.  Meeting today (31 August) at Aberdeen Harbour to launch the piece of art into the natural world, representatives from the partnership have also opened a competition to name the unusual puffin adventurer and win a family wildlife holiday to Orkney.

Eddie said: “My passions for conservation and bronze sculpting inspire me to create life-size models of wildlife which attempt to capture the essence of the amazing animals which surround us and really do them the justice they deserve.

“The Scottish Wildlife Trust strives to protect Scotland’s valuable wildlife and conserve its biodiversity for the future, and I hope the story of the adventures of the puffin sculpture spending winter aboard this NorthLink ferry will provide a way for me to give something back to wildlife and contribute to the work of the charity. 

“The time the puffin sculpture spends at sea will radically change its appearance to give us a small insight into what these small, hardy creatures endure on the open waters.  This authenticity will hopefully make it more attractive to wildlife enthusiasts when it is auctioned to raise money for the Scottish Wildlife Trust next year.” 

Glenn Campbell from the Scottish Wildlife Trust said:  “Eddie’s offer to donate such a spectacular work of art to the Scottish Wildlife Trust is exceedingly generous and provides an example of his admirable dedication to conservation and passion for wildlife. 

“The puffin is an icon of Scotland’s natural world and many thousands of these birds spend the summer on Orkney and its surrounding islands every year, where they breed and rear their young.  Once the young puffin chicks are ready to leave their breeding burrows, the puffins separate from their colony and head to the Atlantic where they spend the winter alone at sea.”

Angus Purden, representing People’s Postcode Lottery, said: “People’s Postcode Lottery is a proud supporter of the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s work, including the wonderful puffins on the reserve we support at Hill of White Hamars.

“Thanks to Eddie’s creativity and the willing of all parties involved, we are thrilled to launch a competition today to mark the start of our puffin’s big adventure.  One lucky family can now enjoy their own wild adventure by simply suggesting a name for our sea-faring puffin.  With a VIP wildlife holiday to Orkney, including ferry travel from Aberdeen and accommodation, as well as a guided visit at the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Hill of White Hamars wildlife reserve up for grabs, we hope many people will be inspired to enter at www.swt.org.uk/puffin

“People’s Postcode Lottery is a unique fundraising concept where players play with their postcode to win prizes and support local charities, including the Scottish Wildlife Trust.  We are thrilled to be involved with such a novel idea and we hope it will help generate more support and awareness for the importance of Scotland’s wildlife.”

Peter Hutchinson from NorthLink Ferries, said:  “Eddie’s bronze puffin is a fantastic piece of work and we jumped at the chance to add an interesting feature to the MV Hrossey.  In fact, we asked Eddie to provide us with a second puffin from his collection for another ship, called the MV Hjaltland, to ensure that all our passengers to Orkney and Shetland would see a puffin aboard.  This second puffin will be returned to Eddie at the end of winter.

“Having really captured our passenger’s imagination and curiosity, the puffin sculpture and competition are already helping to engage visitors to the Northern Isles, as well as locals commuting to the mainland, by encouraging people to take notice of the stunning array of wildlife which can be found on the island.”

Orkney is home to a wide array of amazing Scottish wildlife, and you stand a chance of seeing puffins, seals, basking sharks, great skuas, and Scottish primrose, depending on when you time your visit.

Visit www.swt.org.uk/puffin today to enter the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s competition, with partners People’s Postcode Lottery, Northlink Ferries, and VisitScotland, for the chance to win a family wildlife holiday to Orkney worth around £1,000.  The prize includes NorthLink ferry tickets for up to four people plus car transport; three nights’ accommodation on Orkney thanks to VisitScotland; a guided boat trip and visit to the Scottish Wildlife Trust’s Hill of White Hamars wildlife reserve on Orkney, a year-long family membership for the Scottish Wildlife Trust and one month’s free play with People’s Postcode Lottery.  Terms and conditions apply.