Leader comment: 300ft Harry Potter statue, anyone?

The Colossus of Rhodes, the Statue of Liberty, Christ the Redeemer, the Angel of the North, the Kelpies '“ monumental sculpture has a raw, almost primaeval, power to impress. We marvel at its sheer scale.

Could a massive statue of Harry Potter welcome people flying to Scotland?

Done well, a giant statue on Cramond Island – on the flight path for many planes flying in to Scotland – could put Scotland even more firmly on the global tourist trail than it is already and also help persuade visitors that there is more to Edinburgh than the castle and the city centre.

But the best art always has some kind of meaning.

“Liberty Enlightening the World”, as the famous statue was originally named, is an icon of American democracy and a welcoming attitude towards immigrants.

If Scotland was even to consider the expense, the statue would need to be spectacular, both visually as a piece of art but also conceptually as an idea.

That might sound like a daunting challenge, but at this early stage, there are no wrong answers.

A giant tattooed Pict, Robert the Bruce, Black Agnes of Dunbar, David Hume, Mary Somerville, the Loch Ness Monster’s twin sister ... Harry Potter?