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MHG9053 - Macdonald Memorial - Mitchell Hill, Dingwall

Summary

Memorial tower erected to memory of Major-General Sir Hector Archibald Macdonald, KCB, DSO, ADC.

Type and Period (1)

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Full Description

Designed by James Sandford Kay, Glasgow, Dated 1907, after he won a competition in 1904. Tall Scottish Baronial tower, square on battered base; bullfaced rubble, polished ashlar dressings. Tall battered plinth stepped back to tower; corbelled upper storey, balustrade and circular, crenellated stair turret rising above balustrade.

Erected to memory of Major-General Sir Hector Archibald Macdonald, KCB, DSO, ADC. <1>

Site visited during the Highland Kirkyards project, run by Highland Buildings Preservation Trust. Major-General Hector Archibald Macdonald was the son of a crofter and rose to become commanding officer of the Highland Brigade during the Boer war. He is an important figure who allegedly committed suicide due to homosexual allegations. As well as the tower, a song was composed in his honour, ‘Hector the Hero’. The tower was used as a lookout post during World War II. <2><3>

This site was noted during ARCH's Heritage Along the Kyle Line project in 2011. Originally a small building was to be built on the side, as shown in the architect's drawings, but it was not built due to lack of money and restrictions on commercial vehicles within a cemetery (Dingwall by-law). The monument is reputedly to have used c. 4,000 tons of rock, mainly from Raven's Rock quarry, with the dressed stone from Covesey Quarry, Burghead. It cost c. £2,000, with most of the money coming from the MacDonald Society. A photograph was supplied by the Dingwall Museum. <4>

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Map

Location

Grid reference	Centred NH 5492 5841 (11m by 11m) (2 map features)
Map sheet	NH55NW
Geographical Area	ROSS AND CROMARTY
Civil Parish	DINGWALL

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