Wednesday February 25th 2026
The statue will be erected in West Princes Street Gardens
Written by Local Democracy Reporter, Joe Sullivan
A statue commemorating 20 years of the Royal Regiment of Scotland has been approved for West Princes Street Gardens by Edinburgh councillors.
Consisting of a bronze lion on top of a stone plinth, the unveiling of it in 2026 is set to mark two decades since the unit was formed.
Planning documents before the council said it was not a war memorial, but a ‘timeless statue’ for members of the unit and their families.
Edinburgh World Heritage Trust had expressed concerns about the siting of the memorial, and its possible impact on the path it was to be placed on.
Green councillor Alys Mumford asked: “One of the concerns is having it so close to the path impacts the ability to read the path as a tree-lined promenade, I wanted to check that wasn’t a concern?”
An officer replied that city staff did not have concerns about the impact of the memorial on the view of the park.
Conservative councillor Joanna Mowat said: “I just want to say I think this is very welcome. I understand that you could group all the memorials together, but Princes Street Gardens, if you take the time and wander, and that path indeed is full of war memorials.”
Cllr Mowat cited several examples of statues in the Gardens that had a significant impact on both residents and visitors to the city, and said people often took time reading them.
Among these was the memorial to Wojtek the Bear statue, commemorating the links between Scotland and Poland in the second World War.
Several councillors were in agreement that the memorial’s siting, and positioning along the path, were appropriate.
Liberal Democrat councillor and committee convener Hal Osler said: “It adds that extra bit of interest to individuals, and we have worked long and hard to make sure we can protect our trees.
“There’s a level of vibrancy, we need to make sure that there is an understanding of what the statue is there for and that it is contemplative.”
The committee agreed to grant planning permission for the statue.
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