Edinburgh, East Barnton Avenue, Royal High School
School (20th Century), War Memorial(S) (20th Century) (1923)
Site Name Edinburgh, East Barnton Avenue, Royal High School
Classification School (20th Century), War Memorial(S) (20th Century) (1923)
Alternative Name(s) War Memorial Plaques
Canmore ID 113258
Site Number NT17NE 120
NGR NT 1990 7529
Datum OSGB36 - NGR
Permalink http://canmore.org.uk/site/113258
- Council Edinburgh, City Of
- Parish Edinburgh (Edinburgh, City Of)
- Former Region Lothian
- Former District City Of Edinburgh
- Former County Midlothian
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 (24 July 2003)
Coat of arms of the Royal High School of Edinburgh, composed of a shield decorated with a three-towered castle, with windows and door open, on a rock. Above the shield is a front-facing helmet with open visor, topped by a three-towered castle. To either side of the coat of arms are large decorative leaves, and, above and below are ribbons with the above inscriptions.
Inspected By : Joan M. Kennedy
Inscriptions : On ribbon at top of coat of arms (incised letters): Musis Respublica Floret
On ribbon below shield (raised letters): SCHOLA REGIA EDINBURGENSIS
Signatures : None
Design period : 1964-1968 (building)
Information from Public Monuments and Sculpture Association (PMSA Work Ref : EDIN0601)
Field Visit (24 July 2003)
Wooden door divided into eight sections. In the centre of each panel is an embossed metal square with a flower like motif.
Inspected By : Joan M. Kennedy
Inscriptions : None
Signatures : None
Design period : 1964-1968 (building)
Information from Public Monuments and Sculpture Association (PMSA Work Ref : EDIN0602)
Field Visit (13 November 2003)
Profile head of Robert Fergusson, facing left, with his hair tied back and wearing a bow tie. The head is in a roundel within a rectangular plaque with inscription. It is paired with a relief portrait of Sir Walter Scott on the other side of the entrance.
Inscriptions : Below medallion: ROBERT FERGUSSON / Alumnus / 1758-1761
Signatures : At bottom right of medallion: Andrew Dods A.R.S.A.
Design period : 1958
Year of unveiling : 1958
Information from Public Monuments and Sculpture Association (PMSA Work Ref : EDIN1391)
Field Visit (13 November 2003)
Plain bronze plaque with a relief profile portrait of Sir Walter Scott, facing right, with inscription below. One of a pair of bronze plaques flanking the side entrance to the Royal High School; the other being a portrait of Robert Fergusson.
Commissioned to celebrate the centenary of Scott's death, and to commemorate Scott's schooldays at the Royal High School. It was originally placed on the school hall of the Royal High School on Regent Road, to correspond with the bronze portrait of the school's architect Thomas Hamilton which had been erected in 1929 (EDIN1001). The portrait of Scott was moved to the school's Barnton building, which was built by Reid & Forbes in 1964-1968.
Sir Walter Scott, 1771-1832, pupil at the Royal High School 1779-1783.
Inscriptions : Beneath head on integral plain ground (raised letters with serifs):
WALTER SCOTT / ALVMNVS / MDCCLXXIX / MDCCLXXXIII / ERECTED BY THE BOYS OF 1932
Signatures : Along bottom edge of neck: Pilkington Jackson Sc. 1932
Design period : 1932
Year of unveiling : 1932
Unveiling details : Unveiled at its original site on 22 July 1932
Information from Public Monuments and Sculpture Association (PMSA Work Ref : EDIN1392)
Field Visit (13 November 2003)
Tripartite wrought ironwork gates with a large plaque and two shields in the central section, one shield on the left section and two shields on the right section.
The large plaque is decorated with the school coat of arms: a shield on which is a three-towered castle on a rock. Above the shield is a front-facing helmet with barred visor, topped by another three-towered castle. To either side is foliage and, above, is the school's motto on a ribbon. At the top of the central section is a shield decorated with the city of Edinburgh's crest: a three-towered castle on a rock. At the bottom of the central section is a shield decorated with the badge of the Royal Navy: an anchor within a circle of rope, flanked by oak leaves and acorns tied at the bottom with a bow. Above the medallion is a crown composed of sailing ships.
The shield on the left section is decorated with a slightly different version of the above: an anchor within a medallion flanked by oak leaves and acorns, tied at the bottom with a bow. Above the medallion is a crown composed of sailing ships.
At the top of the right section is a shield decorated with the badge of the Royal Air Force: a flying eagle over a medallion. Above the medallion is a crown. At the bottom of the right section is a shield decorated with the badge of the army: a crowned lion standing on a large crown, with two swords crossed behind.
Erected in memory of former pupils whose lives were lost in the first and second world wars.
Inscriptions : Within ironwork: MCMXIV MCMXVIII MEMINERIMUS MCMXXXIX MCMXLV
On central plaque, on ribbon above school coat of arms (raised letters):
Musis . Respublica . Floret
On central plaque, below school coat of arms (raised letters):
ROYAL HIGH SCHOOL / MEMORIAL / PLAYING FIELDS
On right hand shield, around the medallion (raised letters): PER . ARDVA . AD . ASTRA
Signatures : None
Design period : 1950
Information from Public Monuments and Sculpture Association (PMSA Work Ref : EDIN1393)
Archaeological Evaluation (14 February 2023 - 16 February 2023)
NT 20004 75304 An archaeological trial trenching evaluation was carried out at The Royal High School in Barnton prior to the construction of permanent modular classrooms. The area had formerly been the location of a previous mid/late 20th century school annex known as K-Block. Recent remains associated with the demolished K-Block were uncovered, but the landscaping works associated with its construction meant that the archaeological potential of the area was extremely low and there were no archaeologically significant features, deposits, or artefacts identified. A flat stone slab visible on the ground surface which was thought to have the potential to be the remains of an earlier building was found to be a modern reconstituted stone paving slab.
Information from M Kirby - CFA Archaeology Ltd
OASIS ID: cfaarcha1-513542
