Peterhead's Drum is finished......welll, not quite!

More than two years after it was first begun, the infamous Peterhead Drum is finished…..well, almost!

The controversial structure in Drummer’s Corner has been branded a white elephant by townsfolk who have slammed the council for wasting precious money on the creation.

Work first started on Drummers Corner in March 2021 when it had been hoped that the Drum would be ready for Scottish Week.

However, since then the Drummers Corner redevelopment project has been plagued with problems relating to the pandemic and supply chain issues.

​Is it finished or not….well, the answer is almost!

The lengthy delays have had considerable impact on the completion of the structure, but the council says it’s now finished – bar one crucial element.

The final challenge for the project is the supply of curved glass with artworks depicting the past, present and future of Peterhead.

The special toughened and curved glass was to be supplied by a sub-contractor in Ukraine.

But since the hostilities, the contractor had to source alternative suppliers, of which there are few who can supply to the specification required. A solution has now been found and is in production.

The structure has become the butt of jokes and comments on social media. One person wrote: “Where is the seating that was promised as part of this absolute monstrosity. The glass panels? Any word on what grand events they have lined up. All a waste of time and money.”

Another added: “Passed it last week, guy was blasting a football off it, they were using it as goals.”

A spokesperson for Aberdeenshire Council said: “The Drum installation is complete except for the bespoke glass-art backs currently in production for the seats and drum depicting the past, present, and future of Peterhead.

"We fully appreciate this project has taken a long time, as the bespoke elements required specially manufactured parts that have proven difficult to source alongside global supply chain issues.

“Every effort has been made to complete the project as soon as possible so we can open up the area to more activities for all ages, encouraging visitors to the town centre in support of local shops and businesses.”