Hundreds sign open letter calling for rethink over plans for Elsie Inglis statue on Royal Mile

‘Statue for Elsie Inglis SCIO’ applied for planning permission on February 28 to place the statue of the renowned Edinburgh doctor and suffragist on the southern pavement of the Royal Mile.

The statue would sit adjacent to New Assembly Close, opposite the commemorative plaque to Dr Inglis at 219 High Street and the site of her maternity hospital she moved there in 1904 from George Square.

But the plans have been heavily criticised, with an open letter sent to those behind the plans having claimed the statue misrepresents her legacy and disregards the historical significance of the site.

The letter has been signed by hundreds of people including writers Val McDermid and Sara Sheridan, and musicians Charlie and Craig Reid from The Proclaimers.

Protesters Nicholas Oddy, Natasha Phoenix, Michael Hill and Heather Peacock at the proposed site of the Elsie Inglis Memorial Statue on the Royal Mile in Edinburgh. | Rachel Kinnear

The statue will be made by the King’s Sculptor, Professor Alexander Stoddart, after a open design process was closed, angering those who wanted a female sculptor to carry out the work to commemorate one of Edinburgh’s most famous women.

Dr Lynn Mcnair OBE, who herself was born at the Elsie Inglis Hospital, questioned why the proposed statue has Elsie in war uniform, and called on the statue to be created “through the eyes of children”.

She said: “I would like to see this statue created through the eyes of children themselves. Elsie Inglis was of course involved with the war effort, that was three years of her life. But the vast majority of her life and work was dedicated to women and children.

“So surely her statue should at least have a child in it. It just doesn’t make sense to me that this isn’t happening. When you think about what Elsie was interested in and what she cared about, war wasn’t it.

“It’s not what Elsie Inglis was really about. She was a passionate woman who dedicated her life to women and children, so I can’t believe they are having this statue with her in war uniform.

“Edinburgh had this outstanding and inspiration woman who managed to get through a man’s world and create so many great things. But here we are depicting her what she did for men.

“If Elsie Inglis was alive today she would want a woman to create the sculpture. The whole design process was a farce. It was open and fair but suddenly it was closed and they appointed the sculptor to the King.

“We have got to fight back and do what is right for Elsie. I feel at this point that children have been forgotten in the process, they should feature prominently.”

Two artist's impressions images of the proposed Elsie Inglis memorial statue to be placed on the Royal Mile under the plans. | Jewitt & Wilkie Limited

The proposed monument to Dr Inglis would stand near to the site of the hospice that Inglis set up for poor women and children in 1904. The proposed monument comprises a statue, a pedestal and a plinth.

Dr McNair is worried that the statue would be “out of reach” and would keep children “at a distance” and therefore unable to learn about Elsie and her life work.

She said: “It’s going to be up on a plinth also, out of sight and not accessible to children. So given she cared so much about children I find the plans astounding.

“When we place a statue like the one commemorating Elsie Inglis out of reach, we send a message that their exploration and engagement with history and art are limited. But this is about more than height – it is about perspective.

“A statue of Elsie Inglis should tell the story of who she was, through a female gaze, created by female hands. To truly honour her legacy, we must recognise that representation is not just about the figure itself, but about who gets to shape how history is told.

“Children are naturally curious; they love to explore the world around them. As both a parent and an educator, I have walked countless times up and down the High Street, a little hand tucked in mine, and I have seen firsthand how public art sparks their imagination, ignites questions, and deepens their understanding of the world.

“By keeping children at a distance, not just physically, but by excluding them from the planning, design, and legacy of the statue – we miss a crucial opportunity.

“What if children had been invited to contribute their ideas? What if they could see art and history, are not just things they inherit, but things they can shape?”

Elsie Inglis was a doctor and suffragette, who tirelessly campaigned for better rights - and specifically medical care - for women.

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One of the sculptors who had hoped to create the memorial statue, Natasha Phoenix, is part of the Elsie on the Mile Facebook page community of 900 people, which is calling for the statue to be made “by an artist through the female gaze”.

She said: “For me that’s my specialism, I sculpt women as they are and try to raise the profile of women. Because we have a real lack of women statues.

“I’m a massive Elsie Inglis fan and I feel they have missed out huge chunks of her story. It would be placed right outside the hospital Elsie opened. It’s a women’s historical site and yet this is making it invisible again.

“The proposed statue has her in military clothes, but that was just three years of her life. But she was also against war, so I can’t imagine Elsie herself would be happy with this. She was a feminist suffragist who staffed her hospital entirely with women. So this statue is not suitable as it is.

“She was a leader in medicine and yet that’s been totally overlooked here. One of our campaigners is the lady that had the last baby in the Elsie Inglis hospital 36 years ago. Her daughter Sam has been out campaigning as she is proud to have been the last baby born there.”

Asked about what she wants to happen next, Natasha, who is also an equality advocate, said: “The best case scenario would be a qualified commissioning team that is transparent and involves the public. It would be great to have all the schools and health care involved. Elsie Inglis is a massive hero for lots of people. What do they have to fear from opening up the commission to the public?”

Sculptor Natasha Phoenix and Dr Lynn McNair, who are not happy with the current plans for the memorial statue of Elsie Inglis. | Submitted

Also objecting to the current plans is Nicholas Oddy, head of design and history at the Glasgow School of Art, who said: “In terms of the design, this is quite unlike the previous memorials designed for the city by Professor Stoddart. All of these depict 'great men', usually in neo-classical style, in the mode of heroes and or great thinkers.

“He is not known for his female statuary. What he presents is a figure of Inglis dressed in service uniform, holding an overcoat. The uniform, by today's standard, is problematic in presenting someone who was a dynamic leader and a noted physician as completely passive, and indeed frumpy.

“It hardly gives off the sort of message that those concerned with gender balance in public statuary would expect, instead continuing a tradition that women, if they have to be depicted in formal statuary, should be placed in a subservient pose to equivalent men, unless monarchs.

“The memorial, while noting Inglis' role in the Great War, does not seem to make anything of her other achievements. There is an inherent arrogance in the application, in particular the references to lack of public consultation, that also should be noted.”

Elsie Inglis was not born in Edinburgh, but she was educated and spent much of her life in the city. Inglis was a doctor and suffragette, who tirelessly campaigned for better rights and specifically medical care for women. Thousands of people lined the streets of Edinburgh before her funeral in 1917, which was held at St Giles Cathedral in Edinburgh and was attended by royalty.

Statue for Elsie Inglis SCIO has been contacted for comment via their planning agent Jewitt and Wilkie Architects Ltd.