I was living in the North Lochs area of the Isle of Lewis when I discovered gatepost art, so the examples on this page were the very first that came to my amazed attention. The headless ploughman, above left, was one of the first to astound me, as was the definitive Aztec, above centre. However, it was the ornate Mono-spined post, above right, that I found the most interesting. This gatepost did not stand in front of any house or building, but was situated in the middle of the moor where few folk ever passed by. Its builder took the time and trouble to make an artistic statement, despite knowing that hardly a soul would see it. It therefore typifies the magnificent but mysterious motivation behind the creation of these extra-ordinary art forms.