And here I was thinking we were in a credit crunch!

I recently made some acerbic comments about the logos adopted by the two new Cheshire councils and I was particularly harsh over the one created for Cheshire West and Chester Council because it was, in my view, pseudo heraldry on the cheap. I am not a fan of pseudo heraldry, especially when there is an obvious route to obtaining the real thing, but I can see that when budgets are tight it might be seen, by some at least, as a popular way to save pennies. Not so for some Quangos who appear to have more money than sense and actually would have saved money by obtaining the real thing. Bring in Historic Scotland:

On the 1st of April Historic Scotland announced on its website that Stirling Castle now has a "striking new brand" by headlining under "Stirling Castle Launches a Brand New Image" that a "new unicorn logo symbolises historic home of Scottish royalty" .



Following a request to Historic Scotland under the Freedom of Information Act it was revealed to a member of the Heraldry Society of Scotland that the bright idea for a new logo cost them £42'384.00!

What an idiotic waste of public funds.

Quote:

" Stirling Castle Launches a Brand New Image
1 April 2009
New unicorn logo symbolises historical home of Scottish royalty.

Stirling Castle now has a striking new brand identity to raise its profile as one of Scotland’s premier visitor attractions and further develop its tourism business.

The creation of the Stirling Castle brand is part of the £12 million Stirling Castle Palace Project which will see the royal lodgings at Stirling Castle returned to the Renaissance magnificence of the mid 16th century.

The stunning stronghold’s unique identity conveys both its character and significance in Scottish history. 

The exclusive, striking logo contains references to Scotland’s coat of arms, the unicorn tapestries and the sculptures on Stirling Castle’s Great Hall roof.  The unicorn, the enigmatic mythological beast, features throughout Stirling Castle.  The new mark also takes its shape from the famous circular wood-carved Stirling heads.  Its references and complex detail are emblematic of pageantry and royal status, and features Stirling Castle sitting high up in its green and leafy setting.

Historic Scotland Marketing and Media Manager Rebecca Hamilton said: “This new logo we have created conveys a sense of depth, experience, royal authority, richness and intimacy.  Marrying the highly decorative with an intimate experience is very apt for Stirling Castle. 

“Our aim was to create a distinctive, memorable and stronger visual identity which embodies the special importance and character of Stirling Castle.  It is a truly outstanding attraction with a range of visitor experiences.  And the completion of the Stirling Castle Palace Project in 2011 will see the visitor experience enhanced further.”

The logo will be phased in at the attraction for a wide variety of uses including signage, vehicle livery, staff uniforms, publications for visitors, and interpretation of the castle’s history, as well as in Historic Scotland’s website details on the site. End Quote

And here I was - thinking we were in a credit crunch!