DUNBAR’S bear statue will officially be known as The DunBear.

The five-metre-tall steel sculpture on the outskirts of the town was unveiled last November.

Created by renowned Scottish artist Andy Scott – also responsible for the Kelpies, near Falkirk – the county sculpture forms part of the Hallhill development on the town’s southern edge.

Following the sculpture’s unveiling, a competition was held with students from Belhaven Hill School, Dunbar Primary School and Dunbar Grammar School to name the bear.

The winner, Emily Hotchkiss, an S5 pupil at Dunbar Grammar School, was chosen from nearly 3,000 entries, with her suggestion of The DunBear.

One of her prizes was a picture of the bear signed by the artist.

Ken Ross, from Hallhill Developments, said: “I’m absolutely thrilled and would like to congratulate Emily Hotchkiss on her name for the bear.

“Every entry represented real enthusiasm for the project and, at the end of the day, community, history and talent is what this unveiling has been about.

“The DunBear celebrates the incredible legacy left behind by John Muir.

“His advocacy for national parks and the environment in general is a lesson to us all that we must do what we can to protect our precious environment.

“Going forward, we hope that many more children, young people and adults alike take an interest, visit and take an interest in The DunBear.”

The top 10 names from each school were selected by headteachers and passed to school prefects to narrow down the selection.

The final name was chosen by Andy Scott and stakeholders from Hallhill Developments, which commissioned the piece.

The sculpture, located off the A1 near the Spott Roundabout, is a nod to John Muir, who was born in the town in 1838 and went on to play a key role in the development of America’s national parks.

He emigrated from Scotland in 1849 and is famous for petitioning the US Congress for the National Park bill, establishing Yosemite National Park.

The bear is symbolic of John Muir’s travels and his advocacy for national parks.

The sculpture forms part of the mixed-use Hallhill development, which started on-site in 1999.