Edinburgh crash: Car runs into Colinton statue of Robert Louis Stevenson

The driver is believed to have parked up and left his handbrake off before heading away for a day’s fishing at Colinton Village in Edinburgh at around 12.30pm on Saturday.

His blue Skoda then slipped down a hill and careered into the bronze model of the Treasure Island author which is situated outside Colinton Parish Church.

Car runs into RLS statue Colinton | Alex Lawrie

The embarrassed motorist later returned and drove his car away and there is believed to have been no lasting damage to the Stevenson statue following the incident.

A local said: “I was out walking my dog and couldn’t believe my eyes when I saw the car had struck the statute. The guy must have left his handbrake off, or loose, and it’s rolled own the hill after he has parked up.

“He’s very lucky not to have caused serious damage to the statute which would have been such a shame as it’s quite a focal point of the village. He looked very sheepish when he returned from his wee fishing trip and after checking there was no real damage he drove off.”

The statue was erected by the local conservation trust following public donations of around £30,000 and was unveiled in a ceremony led by Rebus author Sir Ian Rankin in 2013.

The bronze cast of the poet as a young boy with his dog Coolin is part of the Robert Louis Stevenson Walk that also incorporates an archway and series of plaques featuring his poems.

Stevenson frequently visited the area as a boy where his grandfather Dr Lewis Balfour was the minister at the church between 1824 and 1860.