AN eye-catching weather vane has been returned to the top of Sir Walter Scott's Courtroom in Selkirk.

The repaired cockerel, which was removed at the start of the major refurbishment project, has been for repaired and re-gilded with gold leaf.

The works to the weather vane were carried out as part of the wider £300,000 repairs to the steeple which is the centrepiece of the Selkirk Conservation Area Regeneration Scheme (CARS) and will include refurbishment of the clock faces on the historic building and repairing high level defective stonework.

Work began in October and is expected to last until spring 2018, with scaffolding in place throughout to allow the works to take place safely.

Information boards with details of the repairs project are on display in the Courthouse Coffee Shop to keep the public up to date with the project.

A Scottish Borders Council spokesman said: “The Courthouse is one of the most interesting buildings in Selkirk and its refurbishment is important to the history, and the future, of the town.

“The weather vane being repaired and returned to the steeple is a great milestone as we head into 2018, while the information boards in the Courthouse Coffee Shop will provide local people and visitors with the latest details on the scheme.

“While the Selkirk CARS and Selkirk Streetscape Scheme are progressing, the town remains open for business and we would encourage local people to continue to support our local shops, pubs, cafes and restaurants over the festive period.”

Pedestrian access is being maintained throughout the works, which are also co-ordinated with the ongoing Selkirk Streetscape Scheme, the £450,000 initiative to improve the town centre.

Further refurbishment works will be carried out to other buildings in the town centre ahead of the completion of Selkirk CARS in March 2018.