Memorial details

Memorial type
Other structure
District
City Of Edinburgh
Town
Edinburgh
County
Lothian
Country
Scotland
Commemoration
First World War (1914-1918), Second World War (1939-1945), 20th Century Wars (1900-1999), Animal Memorials, First World War (1914-1918)
Ceremony
  • Unveiled
    Date: 14 July 1927
    Attended by: The Prince of Wales
  • Dedicated
    Date: 14 July 1927
    Attended by: THE MODERATOR OF THE GENERAL ASSEMBLY CHURCH OF SCOTLAND
  • Show More (1)
Lost
Not lost
WM Reference
2002

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Current location

Within the Castle
North side of crown square
Edinburgh Castle
Edinburgh
City Of Edinburgh
Lothian
EH1 2NG
Scotland

OS Grid Ref: NT 25163 73490
Denomination: Undefined

View location on Google Maps
Description
Large stone building featuring a long hall of honour and a shrine. Also included is a book of remembrance for the Scottish who fell in the two World Wars. Mounted on the hall of honour walls are memorials to the Cameron Highlanders, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, Flying Services, Highland Light Infantry, Scottish Rifles, Royal Scots Fusiliers, Scots Guards, Royal Scots, Kings Own Scottish Borderers, Black Watch, Seaforths, Royal Navy, Gordon Highlanders, Scots Greys, Royal Marines, British Dominions and Colonies, Mercantile Marine and All Scots Women, Indian Army, Nursing Services, Padres, 1939-45 and post 1945 casualties, Tree of Empire, Royal Artillery, Household Cavalry, RAMC, RASC, Royal Engineers and The Scottish Yeomanry, London Liverpool and South African Scottish and the Tyneside plaques, and the the English, Irish and Welsh. The Royal Scots Greys shrine is set into a wall within a carved arch with the words The Royal Scots Greys engraved centrally into a stepped base of the arch. Mounted within the arch on both sides are two officers partisans with ribbons wound round them showing the battles they'd been part of. Between each partisan is a wreath at the top of the arch, with a grown above it. The wreath is sat on top of a flag/standard(?) with swags. Beneath the standard is an ornately carved plaque which states the battles of 1st world war that they took part in (not fully legible in image). Below is another ornately carved plaque with a commemoration for 1914-19. Either side of the shrine at the top are two carved shields.
Inscription
Entrance: TO THE GLORY OF GOD & IN/ MEMORY OF SCOTS WHO FELL/ 1914/ 1918 Shrine, frieze, upper: THE SOULS OF THE RIGHTEOUS ARE IN THE HAND OF GOD THERE SHALL NO EVIL HAPPEN TO THEM. THEY ARE IN PEACE Shrine, frieze, lower: OTHERS ALSO THERE ARE WHO PERISHED UNKNOWN; THEIR SACRIFICE IS NOT FORGOTTEN, AND THEIR NAMES, THOUGH LOST TO US, ARE WRITTEN IN THE BOOKS OF GOD East and West bays: Remember also the humble beasts that served and died.
Inscription legible?
yes
Commemorations
  • First World War (1914-1918)
    Total names on memorial: 147690
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 147690
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: surname,rank,year died,regiment,place of death,forename,decorations
    Order of information: Undefined
  • Second World War (1939-1945)
    Total names on memorial: 57938
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 57938
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: surname,rank,year died,regiment,place of death,forename,decorations
    Order of information: Undefined
  • 20th Century Wars (1900-1999)
    Total names on memorial: 656
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 656
    Exact count: no
    Information shown: surname,rank,year died,regiment,place of death,forename,decorations
    Order of information: Undefined
  • Animal Memorials
    Total names on memorial: 0
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 0
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: Undefined
    Order of information: Undefined
  • First World War (1914-1918)
    Total names on memorial: 154
    Served and returned: 0
    Died: 154
    Exact count: yes
    Information shown: None
    Order of information: Undefined
Components
  • Shrine
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Stone
  • Hall
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Stone
  • Book
    Measurements: Undefined
    Materials: Paper
Condition
Costs

Site: £150,000

Trust fund/Scholarship
No
Purpose: Unknown or N/A
Sponsorship
Public
Responsibility
Trustees, Secretary of State for Scotland
Reference
  • The Website of the Memorial which provides a full names list-www.snwm.org/
  • Carter Postcard Collection
  • Architecture Scottish National War Memorial, Souvenir issue, August 1927
  • BBC News, 30 May 2007, Salmond attends memorial service
  • Call to Arms, Patrick W Anderson, Newsletter of the New Zealand Western Front
  • Courier Advertiser, Tuesday 22 February 2000, Long quest puts hero on honour roll.
  • The Daily Telegraph, Thursday 25 November 2004, War Memorial for all brave creatures great and small, Caroline Davies, page 16
  • A. Smith, The First of Foot, page 33-34, VI The Two Memorials
  • The Times 1 February 1918 page10;18 January 1919 page 5; Use of Edinburgh Castle for Scottish National War Memorial
  • AT THE GOING DOWN OF THE SUN: BRITISH FIRST WORLD WAR MEMORIALS by BOORMAN, DEREK PP161-164 Source: Image Library NIWM Published:SESSIONS 1988 YORK
  • Our Blog ukniwm.wordpress.com/2007/05/31/scottish-national-war-memorial/
  • warmemscot.s4.bizhat.com/viewtopic.php?t=308&mforum=warmemscot

This record comprises all information held by IWM’s War Memorials Register for this memorial. Where we hold a names list for the memorial, this information will be displayed on the memorial record. Please check back as we are adding more names to the database.

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© WMR-2002

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