Earl's statue rides off to new home

IT IS a delicate operation planned with military precision.

The statue of Field Marshal Haig on horseback, which has stood on Edinburgh Castle's Esplanade for 86 years, is on the move.

An advance party moved in yesterday for the first stage of the complex job, which will see the 10.5-tonne bronze structure evacuated by crane to make way for the new Tattoo grandstand.

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The Earl will take up residence in Hospital Square, in the Castle grounds, later this year.

Historic Scotland, which is overseeing the move, said it would be a delicate process as the monument is being removed from its two-tonne base for the first time.

The decision to move the statue was taken by the council after it said its position was a "safety hazard" for disabled users and people leaving the Tattoo.

Barbara Smith, executive manager of Edinburgh Castle, said:"The new location is within the Castle grounds and in closer proximity of the National War Museum and rightly reflects the role and status of this monument."

Not everyone is happy with the move, however. The Royal British Legion in Scotland expressed concerns that people will have to pay to see the statue after it is inside the Castle grounds.

Acting general secretary George Ross said: "We would be disappointed to hear that revenue was being made from this. We are not happy about the decision."

Lord Provost George Grubb insisted the new site was "fitting and prestigious". He added: "This move also had the blessing of the late second Earl Haig of Bemersyde, who applauded the efforts to protect his father's monument."

Conservation work on the monument will take several months. The statue has suffered considerable damage, largely as a result of children climbing on it.

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Sir Douglas Haig was born in Edinburgh in 1861. After the First World War, he dedicated himself to helping ex-servicemen, co-founding the Royal British Legion in 1921. His state funeral in 1928 was attended by thousands, but he has become a controversial figure and has been criticised by historians for his handling of the military operations in the Somme.

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