Basic Site Details Name: | Dingwall Cemetery, National Memorial to Major General Sir Hector Macdonald | Town, district or village: | Dingwall | City or county: | Ross and Cromarty | Country: | Scotland | Parish: | | Status: | | Grid ref: | | Notes: | DINGWALL : The Hector Macdonald Memorial. - The movement for the erection of a Hector Macdonald memorial at Dingwall has reached the stage when competitive designs and models have been received, and these to the nunober of about 150 have been on view in the offices of Messrs. P. M'Donald and Co., Carlton place, Glasgow. Representatives from the various committees met on Saturday at Glasgow, when a short leet of three was chosen. From these three models, at an adjourned meeting to be held to-morrow (Saturday), a design will be finally selected, and the premium of fifty guineas awarded to the successful competitor. The fund amounts to about £2,000, but designs were asked on the basis of an expenditure of £1,500. Architects and sculptors from all parts of England and Scotland have entered the competition. Several of the designs and models are for statues, some in Highland uniform and others in the conventional active service garb, while there are about twenty designs for towers on lines reminiscent of the Wallace Memorial at Stirling. Columns and Celtic crosses have been favoured by other competitor.-". The types of design chosen in the short leet have not been made known pending the final selection [Building News 18 November 1904 p721]
The Hector Macdonald Memorial.—The sub -committee appointed to make the final selection of a design for the Hector Macdonald National Memorial at Dingwall, have met in Glasgow, and unanimously selected the design sent in by "Gael." The successful architect is Mr. James S. Kay, 18, Skirving-street, Shawlands, Glasgow. His design represents a square tower in the Scottish Baronial style about one hundred feet in height, and surmounted by a turret at one of the corners. A heavily corbelled balustrade surrounds the top, to which access is gained by a spiral staircase inside the tower. There will be four floors, and arrangements can be made for utilising these apartments as a museum. The foundations rest on a low mound, faced with rubble pitching, with a short flight of steps leading to the doorway. Above the door is an elaborately carved panel, on which an inscription will be placed. The other architects on the short leet were Mr. Edward C. H. Maidman, Edinburgh, and Messrs. M'Donald and Currie, Glasgow. [Building News 16 December 1904 page 862]
In a competition organised by the Sir Hector MacDonald National Memorial Committee 150 designs were submitted. At a meeting of the Committee in November 1904 the 150 entries had been reduced down to three schemes which were then sent away for costing. Following this, the design of J S Kay 18 Skirving Street Shawlands Glasgow was selected, with E C H Maidman of Edinburgh and MacDonald and Currie of Glasgow being declared runners up. [British Architect 16 December 1904]
An unsuccessful entry from the Manchester architect A E Corbett and sculptor T Newburn Crook was also illustrated in the British Architect. | Alternative NamesThe following alternative names are associated with this building/design: | | Name | Current name? | Notes | | Dingwall Cemetery, Macdonald Memorial | Yes | |
Building Type ClassificationThe building is classified under the following categories: | | Classification | Original classification? | Notes | | Commemorative monument | | |
Street AddressesThe following street addresses are associated with this building: | | Address | Main entrance? | Notes | | Mitchell Hill | Yes | |
EventsThe following date-based events are associated with this building: | | From | To | Event type | Notes | | 1904 | 1907 | | |
PeopleDesign and ConstructionClientsThe following individuals or organisations have commissioned work on this building/design: | | Name | Notes | | The Sir Hector MacDonald National Memorial Committee | |
ReferencesBibliographic ReferencesThe following books contain references to this building: | | Author(s) | Date | Title | Part | Publisher | Notes | | Gifford, John | 1992 | Highland and Islands (The Buildings of Scotland) | | Penguin Books | p406 |
Periodical ReferencesThe following periodicals contain references to this building: | | Periodical Name | Date | Edition | Publisher | Notes | | British Architect | 23 September 1904 | | | p223- competition announced | | British Architect | 18 November 1904 | | | p336 - note of meeting | | British Architect | 16 December 1904 | | | p441- result of competition | | British Architect | 30 December 1904 | | | p496 and illustration - A E Corbett entry | | British Architect | 6 January 1905 | | | p16 - letter from A E Corbett | | Building News | 18 November 1904 | | | p721 | | Building News | 16 December 1904 | | | p862 |
Archive ReferencesThe following archives hold material relating to this building: | | Source | Archive name | Source catalogue no. | Notes | | Historic Environment Scotland | Listed Buildings Register | 24513 | | | Professor David M Walker personal archive | Professor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material | | Research by Iain Paterson |
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