Creative Spaces are a series of artworks that form part of the riverwalk. The spaces were created in 2006 by lead artist Peter McCaughey and the Raploch community. Five outdoor areas were designed (in stone and wood) to engender a sense of place and a cultural identity for Raploch. These were: an interpretation space at Stirling Old Bridge to commemorate the Battle, a large chess board (below) and treasure map, a binocular viewpoint (below) and compass, the childrens' river poem, and a timeline on the river path that denoted local stories and charted the growth of Raploch from its inception in the 1100's.
Seven local people were then recruited as 'mentees' from the wider group. They learned about stone and wood carving, and the fabrication of metal, under the auspices of Peter. As a result, one mentee went on to join the Breaking the Mould as a trainee stone mason and another to take up a place at an art college.
Ochil Play Area
Local people wished to create a special play space, 'not the norm', on the site of a derelict play area close to the riverwalk and to accompany the 'creative spaces'. A wide range of people and age groups contributed to the design.
The play area contains parts of a tree that had to be felled to make way for the road widening scheme in Back 'O' Hill, a tree that was popular as a landmark and in this way has continued to be part of the Raploch landscape.
The play area and the riverwalk were opened on 19th August 2006 by Jenny Stewart, whose story features on the timeline as one of the most poignant of the stories, her husband having survived a concentration camp; the date is of his coming home.