Glenfinnan: Historic Jacobite plaque at Scottish monument undergoes restoration work

A marble plaque at the Glenfinnan Monument was restored in time for the anniversary of the “Raising of the Standard” on August 19 1745 – which marked the beginning of the final Jacobite rising.

Standing tall on the shores of Loch Shiel as a tribute to those who gave their lives to the Jacobite cause, the monument has been cared for by the National Trust for Scotland since 1938.

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The restoration work was carried out by a specialist team over the course of four days and will ensure the plaque’s legibility for years to come.

The work focused on treating the plaque to remove black algae and mould, which thrives in Glenfinnan’s damp west coast climate, before cleaning and repainting each of its 520 carved letters.

Glenfinnan Monument commemorates the day Bonnie Prince Charlie gathered 1200 Highlanders as part of a plan to restore the House of Stuart to the throne.

Emily Bryce, operations manager at Glenfinnan Monument for NTS, commented; “We have enjoyed seeing the 19th century marble brought back to life this summer and thoroughly admired the steady hand of the specialist stone conservator, who repainted all 520 letters as she sheltered in a makeshift tent to escape the drizzle.”

The plaque can be found at the Glenfinnan Monument (Image: NTS)

In researching the history of the plaque, which can be seen hung above the doorway to the 1815 monument in historic sketches and photos, the team discovered it was removed as part of major restoration work undertaken by the charity in the 1930s.

Bryce continued: "The plaque’s story after it was removed is an intriguing one. From reading archive letters, it would seem that no one thought it looked good above the door and, combined with structural challenges in returning it there, the decision was made not to reattach it.

"The plaque was offered to the village church, then the West Highland Museum, but one local stakeholder at the time suggested it be taken out into Loch Shiel and sunk to be rid of it. 

"Thankfully, it suffered no such drastic fate and was inserted into the interior of the perimeter wall surrounding the monument instead.

"Conserving this 60-foot structure on an exposed spot at the head of the loch is no easy feat. It is a privilege for the National Trust for Scotland to be custodians to a landmark that remembers such a pivotal moment in our nation’s history, and in the words of the plaque itself, to ‘the generous zeal and inviolable fidelity’ of the Highlanders who ‘fought and bled in that arduous and unfortunate enterprise,’ the 1745-6 Jacobite Rising.

"We are grateful for funding support from Historic Environment Scotland for this restoration project, as well as ongoing generosity of our charity’s members and supporters, which enables us to continue to preserve, care for and share Scotland’s heritage.”