Stand-in Hearts war memorial to be built in nearby gardens

A new stone will be laid in the gardens at Coates Crescent next year when the existing memorial is put into storage as part of works to transform the busy Haymarket junction.

The new stone is likely to be around three or four feet high and would feature a plaque or carving, depending on the type of material chosen.

The Heart of Midlothian War Memorial was built by the Gorgie club in 1922 to remember the team's footballers who had signed up to fight in the Great War.

Although this year's annual memorial service will go ahead as normal, the 86-year-old monument will have to be relocated from Haymarket junction to accommodate the tram line.

A new position in front of a revamped Haymarket Station is still considered the most likely option, but this has still to be finalised.

One of the big issues for the council in finding a permanent home for the memorial is finding a location which can accommodate the large crowd which gathers for the annual remembrance service.

Dorothy Marsh, a senior conservation officer with Edinburgh City Council, said: "Most sides seem quite happy with the Coates Crescent proposal. It certainly has its advantages in terms of location, both because it is close to Haymarket and because it can handle the crowds in a safer environment.

"The temporary memorial will be quite a simple affair. Ideally we will find a good piece of Scottish stone for the new memorial because the existing memorial is in fact made of English stone, though obviously it is only going to be a temporary structure so we don't want to spend too much."

Hearts were the first team to enlist in the Great War when their whole side joined up. In total, 30 players served in the army, and they were followed by other Scottish teams, including Hibs.

Alex Knight, club archivist for Hearts, said: "Preferably you would have the memorial in around the same sort of area because Haymarket is its home, but Coates Crescent is definitely a reasonable short-term solution."

City centre councillor Charles Dundas said: "My initial thoughts are that Coates Crescent is not a million miles away from Haymakret. It is a nice setting."