Having checked in to the B&B in Stirling my friend Andrew and I took the train to Falkirk. Andrew used to live in the area and he took me to the Howgate Shopping Mall to see the stained glass windows which commemorate Charles Edward Stewart and the '45.

"In January 1746, following the Jacobite victory at the Second Battle of Falkirk, part of Bonnie Prince Charlie's army under the command of Lord George Murray entered Falkirk through Bantaskine Port. The Prince spent the night after the Battle in lodgings on the site now occupied by Dixons. The same lodgings were occupied by the Duke of Cumberland shortly afterwards. The Battle is commemorated by the preserved stained glass windows on display in the Howgate Centre. The windows, known as "The Soldiers of Fortune", were originally installed in South Bantaskine House and show the Prince, Lord George and Sir John Drummond. "

I was amazed and somewhat angered to find them being obscured by a display of lingerie clad mannequins, an entirely inappropriate and disrespectful choice, besides the fact they were obscuring a full appreciation of the windows. I think it's disgraceful that such a blatent misuse of the space should be allowed by the management. If that's what they do with what is effectively something of National and historical interest they don't deserve to have them!

Anyway here are the pics:

Lord George Murray



Prince Charles Edward Stewart



What was in front of him



Lord John Drummond and part of what was in front of him



The whole thing - clearly the fencing is supposed to provide some kind of protection, not be an advertising space!



And viewed from above



The Mall has a website but no email address, very convenient!

http://www.themall.co.uk/about/conta...x?mall=Howgate

I intend to ring them and ask if they have one!