Edinburgh, North Bridge, South African War Memorial

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.

Group of four over-life-size soldiers overlook passers by from a corniced stone base built into the centre of the east parapet of the North Bridge. The central officer stands in his open greatcoat gazing to his right and holding binoculars in his right hand, his left hand on the rock behind and his left knee slightly forward. To his right, two helmeted soldiers, the front one propping himself up with his right elbow and hand on a rock, his left holding a rifle along the ground; the kneeling soldier behind him holds his rifle at an angle in front of his officer's coat and looks out to his right. The bare-headed young man on the right of the group, seated on a rock on the officer's left, has been wounded. He holds his right shin with his left hand, and stares pensively down to the south-west corner of the base. A laurel wreath (the emblem of Victory) lies centrally and at an angle on the front curve of the base (the back of which has angled-back corners), and at each side.

Inspected By : D. King

Inscriptions : On long bronze plaque beneath cornice (raised letters): IN MEMORY OF OFFICERS NON-COMMISSIONED OFFICERS AND MEN WHO WHILST SERVING WITH THE KING'S OWN SCOTTISH BORDERERS (THE EDINBURGH REGIMENT) GAVE THEIR LIVES FOR THEIR COUNTRY DURING THE FOLLOWING CAMPAIGNS AFGHANISTAN 1878-1880. EGYPT 1888-1889. CHIN LUSHAI 1889-1890. CHITRAL 1895. TIRAH 1897-1898. SOUTH AFRICA 1900-1902

Signatures : Incised letters on S.W. corner of base: BIRNIE RHIND / SCULPT.

Design period : 1906

Information from Public Monuments and Sculpture Association (PMSA Work Ref : EDIN0929)

A data upgrade project to record war memorials.