Warwick Louth a trustee of the SBT explains the thinking behind a new wargaming event to be held at the famous location of Prestonpans near Edinburgh......
Churchill once said
“Battles are the punctuation marks of history”. Naturally, as wargamers, our
interest gravitates towards military history, with miniature battlefields
accurately researched down to the smallest detail to attempt to replicate how a
contemporary battle site would have looked. However, what if we were unable to
replicate or understand historic landscapes due to continued urban sprawl and
modern development?
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| Dundee's Troop |
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| Soldiers of Killiecrankie |
Increasingly this
has come under threat in Scotland through extending roadworks, spread of urban
sprawl and new power systems to sites such as Bannockburn, Culloden,
Killiecrankie and Prestonpans. While an Inventory of Historic Battlefields was
created in the wake of similar irreparable damages at Newbury and Naseby, these
provide no legal protection against further development, alteration or indeed
metal detecting, not only damaging past, present and future perception of the
battlefield, but also altering any ephemeral archaeological remains that might
shed new light on the conflict. Equally The Battlefields Trust, although meant
to be a national body, has little representation in Scotland.
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| Scots and English regiments |
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| 1689 Hugh Mackay's Regiment by Barry Hilton |
Obviously the study
of battlefields and historical wargaming are two hobbies and areas of research
that go hand in hand. Therefore the Scottish Battlefields Trust would like to
kindly invite you to its inaugural wargames show to be held at The
Prestoungrange Gothenburg, 227 High Street, Prestonpans, East Lothian EH32 9BE on Saturday February 20 2016 from
11am-4pm.
Dotted just a
stone’s throw away from the initial Jacobite victory of the 1745 Rising, the
theme for the event will be a small series of both participation and
demonstration games acting as a timeline through Scotland’s military history,
from the Romans to the Jacobite Rebellions. Painting competitions will be run
on the day, with a number of select prizes. Supported by a select number of
traders, reenactors and historical stands, it should prove an informative day
for the whole family. Food and drink is available from the restaurant
downstairs. Only half an hour away from Edinburgh, Scotland’s capital, we hope
this is an event that will grow and complement a gap in the Scottish gaming
catalog
ue.
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| King James IV by Barry Hilton |
£2 entry, under
15’s free
For further
information regarding the event, the Scottish Battlefield’s Trust and its work,
please follow the links below
All pictures copyright Barry Hilton 2015
