Chapel panel stolen from Great Tapestry

Fife Cultural Trust (FCT) has called for the public to help track down one of the panels from the Great Tapestry of Scotland that was stolen from Kirkcaldy Galleries on the morning of Thursday September 10^th. The panel illustrating the story of Rosslyn Chapel was removed from display at around 10am.

The Great Tapestry is one of the biggest community projects in the world, with 160 individual panels, lovingly stitched by more than 1,000 volunteers. The Tapestry has been on display at Kirkcaldy Galleries since 20 June and in that time over 50,000 people have been amazed and delighted by the scale, quality and exuberance of the design and fantastic detail of the stitching.

Fife Cultural Trust is working closely with the police to review CCTV footage. Laurie Piper, Head of External Relations for Fife Cultural Trust said; ‘We are proud and delighted to be able to have the Great Tapestry here on loan, and to give the people of Fife the opportunity to experience this amazing artwork at first hand. The Tapestry has been exhibited all over the country and has been seen by over 300,000 people since it first started touring. The people of Fife have taken the Tapestry to their hearts and we are now hoping that they will help us to bring it back where it belongs – alongside its 159 companions.’

The panel was designed by artist Andrew Crummy and lovingly stitched by volunteers in Midlothian. The panel took hundreds of hours to create and has now been stolen from the people of Scotland.

Alexander McCall Smith, co-chair of The Great Tapestry of Scotland, said ‘This is a terrible blow for a project that has brought so much joy to so many people. I appeal to those who have taken this panel to return it. Words cannot express how shocked I am that somebody should damage in this way what is now widely seen as a great national treasure.’

Ian Gardner, Director of Rosslyn Chapel Trust, said ‘It is shocking news that the Rosslyn Chapel panel has been stolen from the Great Tapestry of Scotland. Many of the Chapel’s most famous features including the Apprentice Pillar, Green Man and angel carvings appear in the panel, which took 450 hours of stitching, by seven skilled embroiderers, to complete. We would appeal to anyone who has information about this theft to contact Police Scotland.’

Members of the public who may have information regarding the whereabouts of the Rosslyn Chapel panel are urged to get in touch with the local police on 101 or Fife Cultural Trust on 01592 583204.

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