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Edinburgh, Princes Street, Royal Scots Greys Memorial
Statue (20th Century), War Memorial (20th Century) (1906)
Site Name Edinburgh, Princes Street, Royal Scots Greys Memorial
Classification Statue (20th Century), War Memorial (20th Century) (1906)
Canmore ID 111863
Site Number NT27SE 647
NGR NT 25199 73798
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/111863
- Council Edinburgh, City Of
- Parish Edinburgh (Edinburgh, City Of)
- Former Region Lothian
- Former District City Of Edinburgh
- Former County Midlothian
NT27SE 647 25199 73798
Architect: William Birnie Rhind, 1906.
Project (1997)
The Public Monuments and Sculpture Association (http://www.pmsa.org.uk/) set up a National Recording Project in 1997 with the aim of making a survey of public monuments and sculpture in Britain ranging from medieval monuments to the most contemporary works. Information from the Edinburgh project was added to the RCAHMS database in October 2010 and again in 2012.
The PMSA (Public Monuments and Sculpture Association) Edinburgh Sculpture Project has been supported by Eastern Photocolour, Edinburgh College of Art, the Edinburgh World Heritage Trust, Historic Scotland, the Hope Scott Trust, The Old Edinburgh Club, the Pilgrim Trust, the RCAHMS, and the Scottish Archive Network.
Field Visit (14 November 2000)
Bronze equestrian statue, with a Royal Scots Greys trooper dressed in the uniform and with the accoutrements of the regiment when they went to South Africa in 1899. On a rock pedestal with inscription panels in bronze.
In 1903 the Town Council of Edinburgh received a letter from William Birnie Rhind requesting a site in West Princes Street Gardens, for a memorial to the Royal Scots Greys who fell in South Africa. The site was granted.
The memorial was unveiled by Lord Rosebery on 16 November 1906.
In February 1908 The Builder reported that the stone inscription slab had been damaged by the weather, William Birnie Rhind had prepared a bronze tablet to take its place, and this had just been fixed to the memorial.
Inscriptions : On bronze panel on north side (facing Frederick Street):
IN MEMORY OF / OFFICERS, NON COMMISIONED OFFICERS AND MEN / THE ROYAL SCOTS GREYS / WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR COUNTRY / IN THE BOER WAR 1899 - 1902. Under this is a list of names.
Below, a second panel reads:
IN GLORIOUS MEMORY OF THOSE / WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR COUNTRY IN THE WORLD WAR 1939 / 1945. Under this is another list of names.
On east and west sides are panels with identical inscriptions:
IN MEMORY OF / OFFICERS, NON COMMISIONED OFFICERS & MEN / THE ROYAL SCOTS GREYS / WHO GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR COUNTRY
IN THE GREAT WAR 1914 - 1918. Each has a different list of names below.
Signatures : On west side of rock pedestal:
BIRNIE RHIND / Sc. 1906
Design period : 1906
Year of unveiling : 1906
Unveiling details : Unveiled by the Earl of Rosebery on 16 November 1906
Information from Public Monuments and Sculpture Association (PMSA Work Ref : EDIN0183)
