A PETITION calling for the Edinburgh Castle café to be renamed has now surpassed 3000 signatures.
It comes after we told how Historic Environment Scotland, which runs the popular attraction, had pledged to “review” the name of the Redcoat Café.
The backlash was sparked by the announcement of a completed renovation of the café with SNP MP Douglas Chapman among those to call for a “swift rebrand”.
A petition calling for the name of the café to be changed had gathered hundreds of signatures within hours of going live and it now has more than 3000.
READ MORE: Who were the 'redcoats'? The story behind the Edinburgh cafe name
The petition – which can be found HERE – claims the name “inadvertently celebrates and legitimises the actions of an occupying force that inflicted suffering and hardship upon the Scottish people”.
It adds that renaming the café would not be “merely a symbolic gesture but a necessary step towards acknowledging and rectifying the injustices of the past”.
Meanwhile, Scotland’s top historian, Tom Devine, also spoke to The National about the row and said the café name would “for many Scots” conjure up “bloody images of Culloden and the slaughter of the clans”.
However, he also said it would be a “gross historical error” to assume that “only English soldiers were redcoats”.
The petition added: “We propose that the new name of the café be chosen through a collaborative process involving input from members of the Scottish community, historians, cultural experts, and other stakeholders.
“This approach will ensure that the new name reflects the spirit and character of Edinburgh Castle while honouring the resilience and dignity of the Scottish people.”
A spokesperson for Historic Environment Scotland has since confirmed that the name of both the Redcoat Cafe and Jacobite function room would be reviewed.
“We are aware of the comments on social media on both sides of the debate about the name of the café at Edinburgh Castle,” they said.
READ MORE: This ancient Scottish town has a huge historical significance
“The name has been in place since 1992 and reflects the military history which is told throughout the castle, however the way we interpret history is constantly evolving.
“As part of our future plans for Edinburgh Castle, the names of both the Redcoat Café and Jacobite function room will now be reviewed.”
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