A series of natural stone sculptures in and around Dalwhat Glen in Dumfries and Galloway, the Striding Arches are the work of English-born sculptor Andy Goldsworthy (b.1956), supported by the Cairnhead Community Forest Trust and Dumfries & Galloway Arts Association. The four self-supporting arches are constructed of red Locharbriggs sandstone. One emerges from a former byre at Cairnhead, which serves as an interpretation centre, and three others are situated on the summits Colt Hill, Benbrack and Bail Hill. These locations were selected such that each arch is visible from any other. Constructed by a group of international volunteers between 2004 and 2008, each arch weighs around 27 tons, stands just under 4m (13 feet) in height, with a span of about 7m (23 feet), and consists of 31 triangular blocks of hand-dressed stone. Goldsworthy is noted for building distinctive stone arches across the world, with similar works installed in Canada, the USA and New Zealand, all of which are also made of Locharbriggs sandstone.
