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The Great Britain Guide

Memorials & monuments · Central Scotland

Scottish National War Memorial

ModernFree admission

Scottish National War Memorial is a memorial in the United Kingdom.

Scottish National War Memorial, memorials & monuments in Central Scotland

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Plan your visit

Typical visit
15 min–45 min
Nearest railway station
Edinburgh Waverley · 0.7 km
  • Free entry
  • Family-friendly
  • Dog-friendly

About

Scottish National War Memorial is a public memorial or monument in the United Kingdom. Records date its origin to 1924. Coordinates: 55.9484°, -3.1997°.

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From the Wikipedia article

The Scottish National War Memorial is located in Edinburgh Castle and commemorates Scottish service personnel and civilians, and those serving with Scottish regiments, who died in the two world wars and subsequent conflicts. Its chief architect was Robert Lorimer, commissioned in 1919, and the monument was formally opened in 1927. It is housed in a redeveloped barrack block in Crown Square, at the heart of the castle, and incorporates numerous monuments. The Rolls of Honour kept in the memorial include the names of those Scots servicemen and women and Scots civilians that died in all wars after 1914. This includes all Scots who were killed as a result of enemy action or who died as a result of wounds, diseases, or injuries while serving in the British Armed Forces, the Merchant Navy, the armed forces of the Dominions, the women's services, and the nursing services, together with all members of Scottish regiments. The Rolls of Honour include those who died between 4 August 1914 and 31 August 1921 as having died in the First World War and those between 3 September 1939 and 31 December 1947 as having died in the Second World War. Those not serving in the Scottish regiments must either have been born in Scotland or have at least one parent born in the country. The memorial rolls list close to 135,000 casualties of the First World War and over 50,000 of the Second World War. More casualties from later wars are also inscribed, including from the Malayan Emergency, the Korean War (1950–1953), Operation Banner (1969–2007) during The Troubles, the Falklands War (1982), and the Gulf War (1990–1991). Most recently casualties from Iraq and Afghanistan have been added to the Rolls of Honour.

Excerpt from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0. See the source article linked in Sources below.

Background

Description

The exterior of the building is decorated with gargoyles and sculpture by Pilkington Jackson, John Marshall and Phyllis Bone, whilst the interior contains elaborate wall monuments commemorating individual regiments. The stained-glass windows are by Douglas Strachan. The original aim behind the Memorial was to commemorate Scots and those serving with Scottish regiments who had died in the First World War, from the declaration of war on 4 August 1914 to the Treaty of Versailles of 28 June 1919 (confirmed military suicides and those tried and executed excepted). Upon the altar within the Shrine, placed on the highest part of the Castle Rock emerging through the floor, stands a sealed casket…

Sourced from Wikipedia under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Coordinates
55.9484, -3.1997
Postcode
EH1 2NG
Parliamentary constituency
Edinburgh East and Musselburgh
Established
1924
Nearest railway station
Edinburgh Waverley0.7 km

Sources

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Frequently asked questions

Where is Scottish National War Memorial?
Scottish National War Memorial is in central Scotland, United Kingdom (postcode EH1 2NG).
When was Scottish National War Memorial built?
Built or established in 1924.
Is Scottish National War Memorial free to visit?
Yes, Scottish National War Memorial is free to enter.
How do I get to Scottish National War Memorial?
The nearest railway station is Edinburgh Waverley, about 0.7 km away. Drivers can navigate to postcode EH1 2NG.