Commemorating the Poets, Writers & Artists – #Armistice100

Historic Environment Scotland have unveiled a series of plaques which commemorate poets, writers and artists influenced by the appalling carnage of World War 1.


William LambWilliam Lamb (1893 – 1951): Scottish artist and sculptor who fought in the Battle of Passchendaele, where he severely injured his dominant right hand and learned to draw and paint with his left hand. He was one of Scotland’s leading sculptors of the early 20th Century and was commissioned to produce portraits of members of the royal family.

Plaque location: William Lamb Studio, 24 Market Street, Montrose, which was designed by Lamb himself and has been preserved much as it was when he worked there.


Margaret SackvilleLady Margaret Sackville (1881 – 1963): British poet and author whose works focussed on the brutality of war and women’s social freedom. A member of the anti-war Union of Democratic Control, her pacifist views coloured her First World War poetry.

Plaque location: 30 Regent Terrace, Edinburgh where Sackville once lived.


Charles Hamilton SorleyCharles Hamilton Sorley (1895 – 1915): British Army Officer and Scottish war poet, killed in action in 1915 at only 21-years-old. His letters and poetry from the early months of conflict showed remarkable talent and individuality for one so young.

Plaque location: Powis House (now Powis Community Centre), 11 Powis Circus, Aberdeen where Sorley lived as a child.


Joseph LeeJoseph Lee (1876 – 1949): A Dundee-born journalist, artist and poet who chronicled life in the trenches. His sketches also depicted the prison camps of the First World War, after he was taken prisoner in 1917 and spent the rest of the war in an internment camp.

Plaque location: 18 Airlie Place, Dundee, which is the closest surviving building to where Lee lived for much of his time in Dundee.


Mary Symon

photo: Moray Connections

Mary Symon (1863 – 1938): Scottish poet who penned several of the best-known poems telling the impact of the First World War upon the people of Scotland. Her most memorable poetry told of the enduring heartbreak of those left behind.

You can listen to one of her poems by clicking on this link: The Soldiers Cairn

Plaque location: Dufftown, where Symon lived and died.


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