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 Names

The following alternative names are associated with this building/design:
 NameCurrent name?Notes
Item 1 of 1Dingwall Cemetery, Macdonald MemorialYes 

Building Type Classification

The building is classified under the following categories:
 ClassificationOriginal classification?Notes
Item 1 of 1Commemorative monument  

Street Addresses

The following street addresses are associated with this building:
 AddressMain entrance?Notes
Item 1 of 1Mitchell HillYes 

Events

The following date-based events are associated with this building:
 FromToEvent typeNotes
Item 1 of 119041907  

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.
 NameRolePartnership GroupFromToNotes
Item 1 of 6Alfred Edward Corbett  1904 Unsuccessful entry in association with T Newburn Crook
Item 2 of 6Edward Charles Henry Maidman  1904 Runner-up in competition
Item 3 of 6James Sandford Kay  19041907Winner of competition
Item 4 of 6Alexander McDonald B1904 Runner-up
Item 5 of 6McDonald & Currie B1904 Runners-up in competition
Item 6 of 6___ Currie B1904 Runner-up

Clients

The following individuals or organisations have commissioned work on this building/design:
 NameNotes
Item 1 of 1The Sir Hector MacDonald National Memorial Committee 

References

Bibliographic References

The following books contain references to this building:
 Author(s)DateTitlePartPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 1Gifford, John1992Highland and Islands (The Buildings of Scotland) Penguin Booksp406

Periodical References

The following periodicals contain references to this building:
 Periodical NameDateEditionPublisherNotes
Item 1 of 7British Architect23 September 1904  p223- competition announced
Item 2 of 7British Architect18 November 1904  p336 - note of meeting
Item 3 of 7British Architect16 December 1904  p441- result of competition
Item 4 of 7British Architect30 December 1904  p496 and illustration - A E Corbett entry
Item 5 of 7British Architect6 January 1905  p16 - letter from A E Corbett
Item 6 of 7Building News18 November 1904  p721
Item 7 of 7Building News16 December 1904  p862

Archive References

The following archives hold material relating to this building:
 SourceArchive nameSource catalogue no.Notes
Item 1 of 2Historic Environment ScotlandListed Buildings Register24513 
Item 2 of 2Professor David M Walker personal archiveProfessor David M Walker, notes and collection of archive material Research by Iain Paterson