Description

An obelisk war memorial built in 1921. The memorial lists casualties connected to the parish of Easter Logie in both the First and Second World Wars. The memorial is set into a square drystone walled enclosure next to a minor road, between the railway and directly opposite the former United Free Church of Logie Easter, to the northeast of the village of Kildary.

The memorial stands to a height of around 16 feet (4.9m). It consists of an obelisk of Creetown granite with a crossed rifle and sword relief at its base. The obelisk is set on a square plinth embossed at the top with the cap badge for the Seaforth Highlanders, a stag's head in relief and the regimental motto in Gaelic 'Cuidich'N Righ', meaning 'Help the King'.

The plinth below is inscribed on two levels with white lettering onto tablets of polished black granite. Immediately below the regimental cap badge, the plinth comprises polished black Rubislaw granite inscribed with the following:

'TO THE MEMORY OF / THOSE BELONGING TO THIS PARISH / WHO FELL IN THE GREAT WAR / 1914 1919 / "THEIR NAME LIVETH FOR EVERMORE"'

On two sides of the plinth are the names and ranks of 24 casualties from the First World War. Below this, on a granite tablet mounted onto the front elevation are the names and ranks of 14 casualties from the Second World War with the inscription:

'1939 THEY FELL FOR FREEDOM 1945'.

Historical development

The contractor for the war memorial was Alexander Corbett of Tain (War Memorials Online; North Star and Farmers' Chronicle). The memorial was formally unveiled on 22 January 1921 by Sir Hector Munro, Lord Lieutenant of the county of Ross and Cromarty at a service taken by the Reverend W Macdonald and the Reverend Neil Macleod, and in the company of a muster of about 40 discharged soldiers from the parish (Aberdeen Press and Journal).

At the unveiling, the Lord Lieutenant remarked on the number of men who served and fell in proportion to the size of the parish, and the response made by the parish to the movement for a memorial, which was the first to be completed and unveiled in the district.

The dedication for casualties during the Second World War was added to the memorial in 1949 (Ross-shire Journal).

Statement of Interest

Logie Easter War Memorial meets the criteria of special architectural or historic interest for the following reasons:

• Relatively simple in design, it has good decorative detailing, including a crossed rifle and sword relief and the cap badge for the Seaforth Highlanders in the form of a stag's head and the regimental motto.
• The memorial survives largely as it was built, although with some minor alterations, such as the addition of the casualties of the Second World War.
• The rural setting is largely retained in a prominent position opposite the former Logie Easter United Free Church.
• The monument is closely associated with the major 20^th century conflicts, which are events of national importance.

Architectural interest:

Design

This obelisk memorial is a design of classical inspiration commonly used for commemorative memorials. No information about the designer has been found, but Alexander Corbett of Tain was responsible for its installation.

Obelisk monuments are not rare and can be found all over Scotland. They were commonly built throughout the 18^th and 19^th centuries and range in type from commemorative monuments to notable public figures or major events or as private monuments to individuals. Obelisks are also widely used in the design of war memorials. Listed examples in Scotland include Glenluce War Memorial (LB19365, listed at category C), and Minigaff War Memorial (LB19310, listed at category C).

The granite materials and technology used in the construction of this memorial are also both typical of the memorial building type. In terms of its design, the memorial is relatively simple, although the quality of the decoration is evident, in particular the embossed rifle/sword cross and the cap badge for the Seaforth Highlanders. The design of the lower part of the memorial, a square plan granite cairn plinth with panels bearing the names of casualties on each side, is a common arrangement for a monument of this type. The Seaforth Highlanders cap badge, comprising a stag's head and the regimental motto, helps to link the memorial more directly to the region within which it lies.

Setting

The war memorial occupies a prominent roadside position close to a minor road junction in a rural setting, opposite Logie Easter United Free Church, around 1km to the northeast of the village of Kildary in Easter Ross. Surrounded by mature trees, the orientation of the memorial, facing the church, is of interest as it visually connects the memorial with a building that would have historically formed a central part of life for many of the inhabitants of the parish.

The immediate setting of the war memorial is largely unchanged since it was erected in 1921 and contributes to its overall architectural interest.

Historic interest:

Age and rarity

The memorial dates to the 1920s, the period during which the majority of war memorials commemorating the First World War were dedicated. War memorials are a common building type within Scotland, there are around 2800 classified as war memorials on the National Record of the Historic Environment (Trove.scot). Their numbers reflect the impact the First and Second World Wars had on every community across the country. This memorial is the only war memorial in Logie Easter parish, and it was the first to be completed and unveiled in the district. It is one of around 100 war memorials across Ross and Cromarty. It is therefore not a rare survival; however, it is a well-detailed and distinctive example of its type.

Social historical interest

Social historical interest is the way a building contributes to our understanding of how people lived in the past, and how our social and economic history is shown in a building and/or in its setting.

The monument was constructed to commemorate service personnel from Logie Easter parish, who lost their lives in the two world wars. The war memorial is therefore of social historical interest for our understanding of the war effort to this part of Scotland and the impact the conflicts had on the inhabitants of the parish.

Association with people or events of national importance

The Logie Easter war memorial is directly connected to the First and Second World Wars, two of the most significant events in modern history. The First World War took place between 1914 and 1918, and the conflict resulted in millions of combatants and civilian casualties, impacting on communities around the globe and often far from the front lines. The Second World War, from 1939 to 1945, was fought on an even larger scale than the First and resulted in similar impacts on communities and people on an international scale. The two conflicts combined represent some of the most significant and defining events of the 20^th century, and their legacy can still be found across Scotland, not least in the many thousands of war memorials that are spread throughout the country.

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