Replacement plaque installed at the Melville Monument

A plaque has again been reinstalled on Edinburgh’s Melville Monument in St. Andrew’s Square, after it was taken in September 2023.

Edinburgh Council, together with Sir Geoff Palmer and heritage experts, agreed the wording for a new plaque which was installed on the monument in 2021, to expose Dundas’ role in slavery and to recognise those who suffered enslavement as a consequence. The new replacement plaque has the same wording.

Foysol Choudhury, MSP for Lothian, supported the retention of the plaque after a descendent of Dundas submitted a planning application to remove it last year. 

Following the news that a replacement plaque was installed on the 18th of March, MSP Choudhury commented: “I am glad a replacement plaque has now been installed on the Melville Monument.

We cannot allow people to silence history-we must address Scotland’s past and build the trust of communities across Scotland who are affected by modern-day consequences, such as racism, of this past.

The removal of the plaque was a step backwards in our fight to address Scotland’s historical role in slavery and colonialism and caused severe damage to trust from the communities who this past has affected.”

He added: “I’m glad that a replacement plaque has now been installed to address historical prejudices and educate the public on parts of Scottish history which have caused decades of hate, racism and discrimination. 

I hope that this important work continues to build a more equitable, just future for Edinburgh and Scotland which addresses past wrongs and their modern-day consequences.”

Chair of the Edinburgh Slavery and Colonialism Legacy Review Implementation Group (ESCLRIG), Irene Mosota said: “Today is a really significant milestone for our city, with the return of the plaque to the base of the Melville Monument. It’s only through properly acknowledging and exploring our collective past that we can address the challenges of the present and putting ourselves in a strong position to shape a positive future.

This is a very exciting time for ESCLRIG as we now look towards implementing the recommendations of the independent review. Together I’m confident that we can forge the foundations for a more tolerant, just and equal Edinburgh that we can all be proud of.”