Showcase result

Royal Scots Greys

The memorial consists of a bronze sculpture of a trooper in full review mounted on a horse surmounting a rock pedestal bearing a bronze plaque which carries inscriptions and regimental badges. The memorial is located within Princess Street gardens at roadside level.

In 2015 a grant of £35,190 was offered to eight different war memorials in Edinburgh for repair and conservation works. Following completion of the works in 2016 a grant of £27,600 was awarded as costs were lower than anticipated. This Showcase shows the grant paid for each grant as an eighth of the total cost, £3,450.

The works to the Royal Scots Grey memorial dealt with extensive bird droppings on the bronze figure which was causing damage to the bronze. Weathering had also led to other areas of corrosion on the metal plaques and sculpture. The stone plinth had a build-up of biological growth with cracked or missing mortar in many of the joints. To address these issues works were undertaken to clean the bronze figure and plaques before a protective wax was applied. The stone stonework was appropriately cleaned with steam and the joints were re-pointed with a lime mortar.

The statue is by William Birnie Rhind (1853 - 1933) and was unveiled at an impressive and well attended ceremony by the Earl of Rosebery on the 16th November 1906.

The main plaque reads:

“In memory of
Officers, non-commissioned Officers and men
the Royal Scots Greys
who gave their lives for their country
in the Boer War 1899-1902”

Further information

War Memorials Trust reference WM7565
UK National Inventory of War Memorials: 53588

War Memorials Online: 130559

Further details of all the memorials which formed part of this project can be found by clicking the links below:

• Ratho (WM3321)
• Slateford (WM4159) 
• Dalmeny (WM5189)
• Royal Scots Greys (WM7565)
• Duddingston (WM8854)
• Cannongate (WM9280)
• Newhaven (WM9281)
• South Queensferry (WM9282)

If you have a concern about this memorial please contact the Trust on conservation@warmemorials.org

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