Wallace Monument

The Wallace Monument is a huge and imposing statue overlooking the Tweed near Dryburgh. Whether by design or accident it faces North when would imagine Wallace would want to look South as he protected Scotland. Another anomaly is that he is seen holding an enormous sword almost as long as he is tall and that is in character I think. But on his hip is the Elisabethan handle of a basket hilted rapier which is totally out of time and character. I wonder a) why this is not mentioned in any guides and b) whether in fact the sculptor had reused a statue, perhaps of Drake or Raleigh that no one bought? Another unfortunate item is that some misguided Scot has half (and badly) painted the shield in blue and white. I realise the SNP provenance, but a) couldn't the painter reach the top? b) why so shoddy a job, and c) whoever did it defaced a lovely local sandstone figure...how sad.