Edinkillie War Memorial wins Best New Entry award in national Best Kept War Memorial competition
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A LOCAL monument to men and women who lost their lives during the two world wars and the Malayan Emergency has won national recognition.
Edinkillie War Memorial was named ‘Best New Entry’ of the Best Kept War Memorial competition during a ceremony at Lady Haig’s Poppy Factory in Edinburgh on September 8.
The tribute to the bravery of local service personnel was nominated by the Royal British Legion (RBL) Scotland Forres branch.
A branch spokesperson said: “We collected two awards for the memorials at Edinkillie and Duffus as they come under our jurisdiction.
“Credit should go to the teams that keep our memorials in such a fine and respected state. Thank you to Moray Council for maintaining these special memorials.
“We are amazed and proud of the achievement - the trophies will be put in pride of place within the club for all to see.”
A Moray Council spokesperson added: “This is a fantastic award to win and it recognises the valuable work made by the community in Edinkillie to look after the war memorial garden.”
Edinkillie War Memorial was unveiled in 1921 by Lieutenant Colonel Robert Bruce. It was moved from the estate access road junction due to road widening to its present location in 1989.
The rough hewn stone-built structure at Edinkillie has a recess flanked by columns. A shelf in it holds a stone basin, and a recess has plaques listing the names of those killed. It is set against the north wall of the village churchyard at the side of the A940.
The competition judges commented: “It is an interesting memorial. Being inbuilt into an existing structure, the moss surrounding the stones enhances it.”
The Best Kept War Memorial Campaign has been running for more than four decades. It was started to encourage people to maintain and upgrade war memorials in Scotland, in conjunction with local councils and communities.
A competition spokesperson said: “What has been inspired as a result is dedication and persistent improvement to war memorials by local communities.
“Thanks to this insistent and careful work, Scotland is the proud home of hundreds of pristine and galvanised war memorials that adequately reflect the sacrifice made by those in the armed forces.”
