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Basic Site Details

Glenelg war memorial
Glenelg
Inverness-shire
Scotland
Sculptor: Louis Deuchars. Commission obtained via Lady Scott and proved problematic; Lorimer financed Deuchars, leading to a dispute at the RSA.

Information from Dr Boreham:

\'the memorial was first proposed by Lady Scott of Eilannreach in December 1916 when war was still being waged. She wrote to Sir Robert Lorimer, explaining why she had selected the site on a promontory because,
‘… so many of the young men have gone, their wives & mothers see them go and they are killed. There is nothing left but a desolate memory. If there was a monument, it would appeal to those poor lonely souls who never leave their homes and they might gather round it, and see their sons’ names, and feel that there was still a link between them and those they had lost. Also the happiest days of my son & my son-in-law were spent at Glenelg and I should like their names also on the monument.’

Lady Scott lost her son, Captain George Henry Hall Scott and son-in-law Captain Roland Stuart Hebeler, both of the 7th Battalion the Queen’s (West Surrey) Regiment. Captain Hebeler died of wounds on 16 September 1915 & Captain Scott was killed on the first day of the Battle of the Somme, 1 July 1916. Both are buried in France. The name at the top of the list on the memorial is Major Valentine Fleming, DSO, MP, father of Ian Fleming, author of the Bond books.

Lorimer asked Louis Reid Deuchars, my grandfather, to prepare a small clay model. Lady Scott was charmed by it and Deuchars proceeded to work on the full-size group. It represents Peace (a Cameron Highlander – because it’s Cameron country) and Victory (winged figure) coming to the aid of Stricken Humanity represented by the kneeling female. At the back are other symbols – dusty coronet & broken drum, representing transient glory and a dove of peace, poised for flight. It was unveiled on 23 September 1920 by Sir John Banner.

The bronze group was cast by Alexander Parlanti of Parson’s Green Lane, Fulham (manager - J. F. Carruthers-Bell).The pedestal of Covesea Stone from a quarry east of Hopeman, Moray and the platform at the base of Applecross stone, were built by L. McLean & Son, Cawdor Road, Inverness. Lady Scott specified the wording for the bronze name-plate, cast by Charles Henshaw of Edinburgh, from a full-size model.

Building Type Classification

The building is classified under the following categories:

Class classic

ClassificationOriginal ClassificationNotes
War memorialNot Known

Events

The following date-based events are associated with this building:

event classic

Event TypeFromToNotes
1920

People

Design and Construction

The following individuals or organisations have carried out design/construction work. Where architects or practices worked together, matching letters appear beside their names in the Partnership Group column.

design classic

PersonPartnership GroupRoleFromToNotes
(Sir) Robert Stodart Lorimer1920

Related Buildings, Structures and Designs

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this building:

bio ref classic

AuthorYearTitlePartPublisherNotes
Boreham, Louise1998Sculptors V Architects in the Royal Scottish AcademyvIXArchitectural Heritage, 1998., vIX, pp84-95
Savage, Peter1980Lorimer and the Edinburgh Craft DesignersEdinburgh: Paul Harris Publishing, 1980 (also paperback ed, London & Edinburgh: Steve Savage, 2005)p177

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this building:

arc ref classic

SourceNameCat NumberItem NameNotes
National Monuments Record of Scotland/NMRS, RCAHMSLorimer and Matthew CollectionLOR G/60
Historic Environment ScotlandListed Buildings Register7236