Commissioned poem celebrates Scotland’s most Treasured Place

The Lady Victoria Colliery, winner of RCAHMS’ ‘Treasured Places’ vote, is today celebrated in verse by Edinburgh’s Makar, Valerie Gillies. Valerie’s poem will be presented to the Colliery, now the Scottish Mining Museum, by the Minister for Culture, Linda Fabiani.

The eight-verse poem describes the deep mining undertaken at the colliery, which closed in 1981, and brings to life the sounds, sights and mechanical activity of the mine, which at its peak had a workforce of over 2,000. It also celebrates the museum’s role as a memorial to generations of Scots miners and to the importance of coal in the life of the nation.

The Royal Commission on the Ancient and Historical Monuments of Scotland (RCAHMS), launched the ‘Treasured Places’ vote in September last year in the run up to their Centenary year in 2008, to encourage the public to think about Scotland’s built heritage and why it is important to them. Over 20,000 votes were counted in the poll to find Scotland’s most Treasured Places, as represented by an archive image from RCAHMS’ national collection.

The winning image was a highly detailed survey drawing of the colliery building produced by Heather Stoddart, surveyor and illustrator for RCAHMS. This won the poll in December by 288 votes, beating off competition from Glasgow School of Art and King’s College Aberdeen.

Siobhan McConnachie, project manager for Treasured Places, said:

‘RCAHMS was delighted to commission a poem by Valerie Gillies and the finished work is an evocative reflection of the story behind the image of the Lady Victoria Colliery. It is a wonderful way to mark the start of the RCAHMS Centenary year.

Minister for Culture, Linda Fabiani, said:

“I am delighted that the Lady Victoria Colliery at Newtongrange has won the Treasured Place award and been celebrated in such an innovative way – in verse.”

“Treasured Places has brought together such meaningful and enchanting images. Asking people to vote for their treasured place has encouraged the nation to think about its cultural heritage and what it means to them personally. It has evoked memories and stirred debate, and has proved beyond doubt that Scotland’s wide and diverse built heritage is something we, as a nation, treasure.”