HE was beloved by locals and a tourist attraction, but now a tall and reflective man standing in the beautiful waters of Loch Earn has gone.

The mirror-laden sculpture of a man created by artist Rob Mulholland has stood in the waters of eastern side of the loch since 2014, and has since become a favourite of both the people of St Fillans in Perth and Kinross, and tourists visiting Scotland.

However, the statue has now been removed, much to the consternation of its fans and the artist himself.

The distinctive artwork is made from hundreds of mirrored tiles and is known locally as 'Mirror Man.'

The disappearance of the statue, which was commissioned by the former owner of the nearby Four Seasons Hotel, appears to have become the consequence of a change of ownership at the hotel.

Mulholland, an Aberfoyle-based artist whose work is featured in the UK and many countries across the world, is also vexed by the removal of the statue for its location.

He said he has only found about the removal from social media, and numerous emails from fans of the work wondering what had happened to the statue, which is formally titled 'Still'.

However the artist said last night: "If we cannot get it re-instated, I will create a brand new one and I will, somehow, put it there.

"I am behind that idea 100%, because the principle of public art is very important to me."

It is unclear whether the previous owner of the hotel, Andrew Low, requested its removal, or if the decision was taken by the hotel's new owners.

It is understood Mr Low is currently abroad.

A staff member at the Four Seasons Hotel yesterday said the statue does not belong to the business.

On the hotel's Facebook page, a note said: "Still does not actually belong to the Four Seasons Hotels so we do not have a say on where he goes.

"Although he will be missed, his departure does not take away from the beauty of St Fillans and the loch itself."

Mulholland said that if he cannot arrange for the statue to be re-instated he will create another one for the loch.

Mulholland was raised in Glasgow and attended Edinburgh College of Art, graduating in 1986.

He said: "Many people have been contacting me, perhaps because they believe I am involved in this decision, which I am not.

"One thing I would say is that there has been no communication with me as the artist of this piece, and I thought someone would at least have the courtesy of getting in touch.

"So the news of its removal has come out the blue, and that's what galls me as an artist."