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Anona.Mouse
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| Posted: Sat Apr 05, 2008 9:59 pm Post subject: The Royal Scots in Penicuik - and Midlothian |
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Most of us know about the gates at Glencorse Barracks being a regimental war memorial for the Royal Scots. But there are two houses on Carlops Road, further along to the left of the High School as you look at the front, which bear plaques on the front which also mention the Royal Scots.
I've seen a couple of houses elsewhere in Midlothian - Bonnyrigg, possibly? - which seem to have similar plaques, but I've never been able to get close enough - or be brave enough to spend the time peering! - to read the inscriptions.
Does anybody know anything about these houses? Do you have a photo, or a copy of the inscription? I'd love to know.
If it helps, the houses I've noticed all seem to be white, with a grey plaque. |
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TattieBogle
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| Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 6:57 am Post subject: |
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Oh I remember the ones on Carlops Road. Im not too sure but I seem to recall something about them being built for the Royal Scots to convalese or retire into? My pal lived in one of them in the 60s but I dont remember her parents having any association with the Army. Spry....be a devil and do some door knocking on Carlops Road ... dont run away though..ask them if you can read the plaque for your long lost cousin in NZ. 
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Anona.Mouse
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| Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 5:32 pm Post subject: |
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Ah - so I wasn't imagining it, then!
If my eyes worked a bit better I could have read the things for myself years ago . . . My Dad would have known, but it's too late to ask him now. |
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Spry
Great Selkie o' Sule Skerry
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| Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 6:08 pm Post subject: |
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Yes, you're both right (for once!) and at one time I could have told you what the inscription was, but my memory ain't so good now so I'll have to go and have a good glower at them next time I'm in Penicuik.
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Anona.Mouse
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| Posted: Sun Apr 06, 2008 6:47 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks, Spry!
I wonder how many of these houses there are around? Were they built throughout the county, or even the country, do you know?
I have a vague feeling that a boy I was at school with lived in one of the Penicuik houses, and I have another vague feeling that his mother was a widow. Maybe they were used for injured or ill soldiers? I'm sure there was some suggestion of former service, not current. |
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Big Davie
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| Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2008 1:06 pm Post subject: |
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My Friends Mum lives in one of those houses, his dad was an ex KOSB,
he was allocated the house when he retired as he was in a tied house
that went with his job.
The inscription reads IN MEMORY OF THE ROYAL SCOTS WHO DIED IN
THE 1939-1945 WAR. |
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Anona.Mouse
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| Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2008 3:11 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks for that, Davie.
So the houses are not exclusively for the use of old Royal Scots. If they're another kind of war memorial - I still wonder how many there are around the country? And who paid for them?
And what will happen to them, now there are no Scottish regiments, just the one-size-fits-all type?
I don't even know where I could enquire now. Maybe the Royal Scots Club could help - if it still exists.
(Yes, my Dad was a Royal Scot. He joined up, underage, at 15, and was at both Dunkirk and Kohima.) |
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Anona.Mouse
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| Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2008 3:41 pm Post subject: |
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Been doing some digging. The Royal Scots Club is now a hotel, but I found a bit about its beginnings - which may shed some light on how the houses came to be. So this is taken from the page about "Our History":
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The Story Of Our Club
At the end of The Great War, when other regiments were considering erecting monuments to their Fallen, a Royal Scot Officer decided that a Club for all ranks would be the best way to honour the memory of 11,162 Royal Scots who had been killed. His name was Colonel The Lord Henry Scott, the younger son of the sixth Duke of Buccleuch.
In 1919 he called a meeting of distinguished Scots connected with the Regiment and put his plan to them. As a result the Royal Scots War Memorial Fund was formed, Trustees appointed and a Public Appeal made which yielded £2000 in the first week, growing substantially to £17000. In property values today this is the modern equivalent of about £5 million.
In 1921 No’s 30 and 31 Abercromby Place were acquired, No. 29 being bought some years later. The buildings were then altered and adapted to become The Royal Scots Club. The Hepburn Suite and what was then the Billiards Room (now part of the fitness complex) were built to the rear of the building in 1929. The Club was a success from the start with Lord Henry as Chairman; an office he held until 1944.
After World War II, a second Book of Remembrance was placed in the Memorial Cabinet at the Club Members Entrance with the names of the 1,231 Members of the Regiment who lost their lives in that conflict.
Membership reached its peak in 1946 when there were some 4,540 members but only a decade later numbers began to dwindle as time took its toll on those of the 1914 – 1918 war. In 1957 sons of Members were admitted, then men who had served in any of the Armed Forces and finally the Club become open to anyone duly proposed by a Member |
There's more, but the main point is that money was raised after WW1 to establish the Club, so it looks likely that the same thing happened after WW2 to build the houses.
It's a very practical way to remember the fallen, I think.
P.S. More about Royal Scots war memorials, including the one in Princes Street Gardens, at their own webpage here - but still nothing about the houses. |
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Anona.Mouse
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| Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2008 4:45 pm Post subject: |
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Getting a bit further down . . .
Veterans Scotland, Housing For Heroes have quite a few houses in the Lothians:
Edinburgh and Lothians
Bonnyrigg (7)
Dalkeith (2)
Dunbar (2)
East Calder (25)
Edinburgh City (212) + (81 single units)
Haddington (2)
Longniddry (33)
Penicuik (4)
I think the Carlops Road ones may be two of the Penicuik houses mentioned. Anyone know where the others are?
I also found this, so there may be more here soon:
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| SVGCA provides and maintains houses for disabled British ex-Service, Merchant Navy, Police and Fire Brigade personnel. The qualifying disability need not have been incurred in Service and includes chronic illness. The estate currently consists of 594 houses, of varying sizes and types, of which the majority are three or more bedrooms on two floors. The houses are located on 74 sites covering Scotland from the English Border north to the line of the Great Glen. Plans are being developed to build up to a further 60 or so wheelchair friendly houses over the next six years, with initial 4-5 house builds at Motherwell, Scone (Perth) and Penicuik. Allocations to fill any vacancies are made by the local District Committee with priority going to those in receipt of a War Pension and qualifying younger ex-Service personnel who are homeless and have a family. |
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Spry
Great Selkie o' Sule Skerry
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| Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2008 7:01 pm Post subject: |
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| Anona.Mouse wrote: |
I think the Carlops Road ones may be two of the Penicuik houses mentioned. Anyone know where the others are?
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I can't remember if there are two semi-detached blocks. I'll try to remember to take my camera.
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Anona.Mouse
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| Posted: Mon Apr 07, 2008 8:47 pm Post subject: |
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Never thought of that - yes, you could be on to something there! |
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Big Davie
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| Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 12:24 pm Post subject: |
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There are 4 houses in Carlops Rd, as Spry say's two semi detached blocks. |
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Anona.Mouse
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| Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 3:09 pm Post subject: |
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Thanks, Davie. Told you me eyes weren't up to much! |
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Big Davie
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| Posted: Tue Apr 08, 2008 6:41 pm Post subject: |
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By the way i forgot to mention that those houses have recently been fited
with new plaques, they are now easier to read from the pavement. |
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Spry
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| Posted: Wed Apr 09, 2008 6:59 pm Post subject: |
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There are the houses ---
----- and here is a plaque
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