Highland Mary

The statue of Mary Campbell (better known as "Burns' Highland Mary") stands overlooking the harbour of Dunoon.  She's looking down the Clyde, either towards Ayrshire or along the route that the ship would take to the West Indies.  The best known version of the story is that she was Burns'one true love, with whom he intended to emigrate to the West Indies, but who died of typhus before they could arrange a passage. There are other versions, which tell a story which is less to Burns' credit.
Whatever the truth of the matter, the story inspired a fine statue.  Mary Campbell was indeed born in Dunoon, but appears to have moved with her parents early on in her life, so the location is a little fanciful.

The detailing of the bronze work, down to the braiding and knots on the shawl, is quite remarkable, especially considering the exposed location and the date of 1896 for its creation by David Watson Stevenson, who also did much work for the Wallace Monument. The blue bar is part of the ferry terminal, and in the background, on the far side of the Clyde estuary, is the Cloch lighthouse. More about the Cloch later.