What’s wrong with Edinburgh's Elsie Inglis statue?
Plus: Police investigate 'gang war' shootings; and warning over fresh social care cuts
Storm of protest over Elsie Inglis statue plans
It should have been a moment of pride and celebration, but the unveiling of plans for a statue of one of the Capital’s great feminist heroes has instead become mired in controversy.
On one side are some of Scotland’s most celebrated artists and feminist campaigners, on the other a descendant of suffragist and medical pioneer Elsie Inglis defending the designs of the King’s sculptor in Scotland.
The statue of Inglis is supposed to be taking pride of place on the Royal Mile, close to the site of a maternity hospital for the poor she established in 1894, entirely staffed by women.
It is long overdue recognition of one of Edinburgh’s great women, with the Capital famously being home to more prominent statues of animals than named non-Royal women. However, it has sparked a flood of objections, including an open letter signed by more than 100 artists and campaigners calling for a rethink of the design by Alexander Stoddart, the King’s Sculptor in Ordinary in Scotland.
What’s wrong with the design? The statue portrays Inglis in military uniform in recognition of the field hospitals she famously founded during the First World War. Critics say it misrepresents her true legacy; ignores the significance of the site next to the former maternity hospital; will be remote from the public on a large plinth; and lacks artistic merit.
Who’s against it? It’s a long list, including best-selling authors Val McDermid and Sara Sheridan, Craig and Charlie Reid of The Proclaimers and other artists and campaigners.
They say: Urging people to object to the design, Sara Sheridan, author of The Fair Botanists and The Secrets of Blythswood Square, posted on X: “It is a £300k 3D version of a wartime photo - the plinth is taller than the subject. It does not recognise Dr Inglis lifelong commitment to women’s health education and rights.”
‘Stoddart theme park’: Alexander Stoddart already has five prominent statues to his name in Edinburgh, including those of Adam Smith and David Hume on the Royal Mile. Nicholas Oddy, head of design history and theory at Glasgow School of Art, says this is in danger of overkill: “In sculptural terms, Edinburgh is becoming a theme park for Stoddart.”
Does anyone like it? Stoddart’s statue has been defended by one of Inglis’ descendants. “Up until the First World, women doctors were given diminished roles often only seen fit to treat women and children. The opportunity to serve her country gave Elsie and hundreds of other women in the Scottish Women’s Hospitals their chance to change the course of history,” her great-great-great niece Clea Thompson told The Times.
Where did it all go wrong? Much of the protest can be traced back to the decision by the trustees of the statue appeal to close an open commissioning process part way through in order to hand the work to a man, the Royal sculptor Stoddart.
What happens next? Councillors will have to decide whether or not to give planning permission for the statue when it comes before the city council’s planning committee later in the year. The application has attracted an unusually high number of comments, around 500 so far. Most of the objections are not legitimate grounds to refuse planning permission, but mounting public pressure could lead to a rethink.
YOUR EDINBURGH BRIEFING
SINGH FOR YOUR SUPPER: TV chef Tony Singh has submitted plans to create a new cafe in Tollcross nextdoor to the former Atik nightclub which is due to be converted into a 145-bedroom student accommodation. The Leith-born chef also hopes to build five flats on the same site at West Tolcross through his company Kusbia & Landa Properties Ltd.
PENTLANDS PARKING CHARGE: Visitors to the Pentlands are to be asked to make a contribution towards maintaining facilities when they use car parks and toilets. The voluntary payments will be invited at the Harlaw, Threipmuir, Flotterstone and Bonaly car parks from this Spring or Summer, ahead of compulsory charges being introduced. The principle of charging was agreed after the car parks were expanded, and electric vehicle charging points installed, to help cope with a big increase in visitors.
SOCIAL CARE CUTS: Social care services are facing another £29 million in cuts in Edinburgh in order to balance their £900 million budget. The proposed cuts come after the city council agreed to increase its support for Third Sector social care providers in order to protect the services they provide in the Capital. The Edinburgh Social Care Partnership (EIJB), the joint city council-NHS Lothian organisation which oversees care services in the Capital, is warning the latest cuts will have an inevitable impact on the services it provides.
Katharina Kasper, chair of the EIJB, who will discuss the proposed cuts tomorrow, said: “We are facing unprecedented challenges to the sustainability of our health and care system, and more needs to be done to futureproof the high-quality care we offer for the most vulnerable people in our society. The EIJB now has some difficult decisions to make in this complex landscape to ensure that we can continue to offer vital support to people when they need it.”
POETRY PRIZE: Acclaimed poet Anthony Vahni Capildeo has been awarded a coveted Windham-Campbell Prize worth £135,000 which aims to give recipients “financial freedom and creative space”. Born in Trinidad and Tobago, Anthony moved to the UK aged 18 and lives in Edinburgh, while currently working as Professor and Poet-in-Residence at the University of York. The judges praised their work for its “playful attentiveness to form and language” and work which “captures the nuances of expatriation, identity and gender”.
‘GANG WAR’ SHOOTINGS: Police say gun shots reported in the Niddrie and Pilton areas of the city in recent days are a result of criminal gangs "actively targeting each other". The latest incidents, which include a suspicious fire in Hay Drive, Niddrie, in the early hours of yesterday morning, follow a firebombing and other incidents reportedly linked to a feud involving drug dealers.
TRUMP UNDER FIRE: The Faculty of Advocates has joined international condemnation on the Trump administration’s “attacks on lawyers in the US and internationally.” The Edinburgh-based Faculty is among the 18 legal organisations to say that recent US actions attacking law firms, the International Criminal Court and members of the judiciary “demonstrate a contempt for the independence of the legal profession and violate long-standing international standards to ensure legal professionals can conduct their vital work without interference.”
SOCIAL RENT BOOST: Prospect Community Housing has completed the purchase of 15 two-bedroom flats for social rent from builders J Smart & Co in the Clovenstone area. The purchase was supported by a grant of £2.4 million from Edinburgh Council, via the Scottish Government’s National Acquisitions Programme.
WHIZZ-ARD BILLY: Visitors to Edinburgh Zoo are now able to spot speedster Billy, the Zoo’s new cheetah, in his new enclosure. The Zoo hopes to welcome a female cheetah in future, with a view to breeding. The species is listed as Vulnerable in the Wild, with a decreasing population of just 6500 adults.
BEACH ATTACK: A 16-year-old boy had to be taken to hospital after being attacked in the Portobello Beach area. Police said they were investigating a number of reports of anti-social behaviour on Friday night.
FLATS ROW: Residents are fighting plans to partially demolish a former water tower and laundry to build a four-storey flats development next to Portobello Baths. City planning officials are recommending councillors approve the plans on Wednesday for six flats on Pitville Street Lane. There have been 26 objections to the proposals from residents who say it is major overdevelopment on a narrow lane where emergency services already struggle to gain access.
‘Not AirBnB’: Developers Cabins in the City say the flats will not be suitable for holiday letting despite neighbours’ concerns. The developers have been reported saying their plans “positively evolved through pre-application discussions and consultation with the public”. However, residents who contacted the Inquirer described a public meeting to discuss the plans as “highly acrimonious”, insisting widespread local concerns about the scale of the development have not been addressed.
THE BUSINESS
New plan to grow city regional economy through innovation
A focus on key areas of innovation underpins a new action plan designed to help business growth in the Edinburgh city region.
Innovate UK, Edinburgh and South East Scotland City Region, and Scottish Enterprise have worked together on the plan, which has just been launched at the University of Edinburgh’s Futures Institute. The University is a major partner in the City Region deal.
The plan aims to create an even more resilient and investment-attractive economy by leveraging regional capabilities. The initial focus will be on three priority innovation clusters – Sustainable advanced manufacturing at the Forth Green Freeport; Health at Edinburgh’s BioQuarter; and financial services and fintech in the city centre.
These clusters align with priorities identified in planning by the UK and Scottish Governments.
LAW MERGER: Law firms Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie (WJM) are set to join forces with Davidson Chalmers Stewart. The combined firm will operate under the Wright, Johnston & Mackenzie brand from summer 2025 and will have more than 200 colleagues including 46 Partners working across five Scottish locations, including Edinburgh.
VALUABLE ROLE: Dr Nikita Daga, has been appointed Queen Margaret University’s latest Entrepreneur in Residence. In her new 12-month role, she will provide invaluable insights into research and policy, help to foster equality, diversity and inclusion, mentor emerging entrepreneurs, influence commercialisation strategies, and advise on knowledge exchange and innovation initiatives.
HAMPDEN MOVE: UK private bank Hampden & Co has rebranded to Hampden Bank and moved its Edinburgh headquarters, from 9 Charlotte Square in Edinburgh, where it opened in 2015, to a newly-developed double townhouse office at 20 and 21 Charlotte Square.
THAT’S ENTERTAINMENT
THE GREATEST SHOW: Singalonga productions bring their latest offering (and possibly most addictive yet) to the Playhouse on Thursday. This is Sing-a-long-a-The Greatest Showman. I bet you’re humming the tunes already…
INSPIRING FOLK: Fresh from winning Folk Singer of the Year at Ireland’s RTE Radio 1 Folk Awards, Rioghnach Connolly of The Breath takes to the stage at the Queen’s Hall on Friday. The Breath headline a strong line-up of modern folk and traditional music, also featuring Highlands fiddler Laura Wilkie and renowned Gaelic musician Allan MacDonald, curated by award-winning multi-instrumentalist Malin Lewis.
RARE BOOKS: Browse first editions and other collectibles at the Edinburgh Rare Book Fair on Friday and Saturday at the InterContinental George Hotel on George Street. Free entry.
QUICK BITES
DONUT BLOW: Popular city donut makers Kilted Donut have closed their Morningside branch – just eight months after it opened - but continue to serve and deliver from their branches in Grassmarket and Leith.
CHEERS! Much awarded Musselburgh pub The Volunteer Arms – better known to locals as Staggs – has been named Pub of the Year 2025 in Edinburgh and the Lothians by CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale). The pub on North High Street has won the same award in three of the last four years and was Scottish Pub of the Year for the third time in 2018.