War Memorial, Balmoral Castle

Heritage listing

Category C Group Category Details 100000020 Date Added 12/03/2010 Local Authority Aberdeenshire Planning Authority Aberdeenshire Parish Crathie And Braemar National Park Cairngorms NGR NO 26155 94886 Coordinates 326155, 794886 — Designed by Dr William Kelly, sculpted by Sir James Taggart, 1922. Panelled Inver granite slab-shaft with carved cross adorned with Celtic braid chip-carving and flanked by sword, dated, AD 1914-1919. Free-standing, horizontal pedestal table stretched in front on granite base, inscribed with names of dead and swastikas initialled GR on return to right. Base inscribed by Charles Macdonald Ltd of Aberdeen, with further names after 2nd World War, dated AD 1939-1945. — B Group with Bridge Lodge, Entrance Gates, Gate Lodge and Gatepiers, Quadrant Walls and Lamp Standards. Sited opposite Bridge Lodge and by Crathie Bridge. Explanatory board erected to right explains that His Majesty George V unveiled the Memorial on 3rd September 1922, dedicated to the memory of the men of the estates who gave their lives in the Great War. The names on the base to the horizontal pedestal are those of the men of Crathie who died in the 2nd World War. The swastika was a symbol of widespread ancient usage associated with the sun and its name comes from Sanskrit denoting well-being, fortune and luck. The symbol appeared on the bindings and title pages of many of Rudyard Kipling's works. The symbol had no sinister associations at the time the Memorial was designed. William Kelly was a former partner of William Smith in the later years of his practice. He was active in practice between 1886 and 1938 and provided war memorial designs for Aberdeen's Grammar School, King's College Chapel, and others in Birse, Dyce and Banff.

From Historic Environment Scotland under OGL v3.