Col Gardiner Monument

At last Mr Flum found the reference to the walk in Prestonpans, which included the monument to Colonel James Gardiner, who lived in Bankton House (seen behind the monument) but who died at the battle of Prestonpans. The monument has inscriptions on each face and is surrounded by four solemn lions. The injured body of Col Gardiner was taken to nearby Tranent, where he died and is buried.

Our walk continued to the Battlefield overview, on which are information panels giving a timeline of the two armies as they took position and as the battle progressed.

From there we walked to the old village, stopping for a rest at the tower, currently under scaffolding for restoration work. I was amused by the sight of a rotating ?weather vane,  the head of the owl spinning round in the wind (see extra), over the wall in a private garden next to the sympathetically restored doocot.

The remaining section of the walk was postponed as we returned to the car to continue the day's activities - shopping in Musselburgh.