Scottish National War Memorial, Edinburgh

Category

Library Item

Item no

2080

Title

Scottish National War Memorial, Edinburgh Castle, entrance to shrine

Description

The entrance to the shrine of the Scottish National War Museum in Edinburgh Castle. A wrought iron gate leads into a vaulted area where a box sits on top of a plinth. Around the entrance are carved figures.

Artist / maker

Unknown

Date

1910

Size

13.5 x 8.4 cm

Type

Etching

Location

Edinburgh and Scottish Collection

Bottom left corner of etching reproduced here is signed "A. W. S."

The Scottish National War Memorial is located on the north side of Crown Square in Edinburgh Castle. It was originally created as a memorial to those who lost their lives in the Great War of 1914-18, and now also commemorates those who fell in the Second World War and subsequent conflicts. The building previously served as a barracks, and was converted by the architect Sir Robert Lorimer. It was opened in 1927.

Edinburgh Castle is perhaps the city's most famous landmark. It stands on top of the remaining core of an extinct volcano. Excavations suggest the site was inhabited by Bronze Age man as early as 900 BC, and was fortified by Iron Age man roughly 2000 years ago. The oldest part of the present day Castle is St Margaret's Chapel, built in the early 12th century. The Castle holds the Honours of Scotland and more recently has welcomed back the Stone of Scone otherwise known as the Stone of Destiny.

Find out more about visiting Edinburgh Castle at Historic Environment Scotland.

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Related subjects

Architecture > Monuments > War Memorials

Homes > Residential buildings > Castles and palaces

Places > Edinburgh areas > Old Town

Places > Scotland > Edinburgh