Murals Trail

We are painting Murals to honour the memory of our ancestors. They tell the history of the town of Prestonpans, and of the baronies of Prestoungrange and Dolphinstoun in particular as seen from the 21st Century. View our virtual presentation of the murals and follow the trail online, including workings completed by Kate Hunter depicting Morrison's Haven and The Salters.

The programme began in earnest after September 2000 when Karl Schutz, Originator and Architect of the Chemainus Mural project and the founder of The Global Association for Arts Tourism, visited the Barony with Doris Bucklin from 29 Palms California, to explore twining the two areas in an exploration of what Arts Tourism might have to offer for Prestoungrange. The Barony has since joined the Global Association and will host its Global Conference in 2006.

Chemainus was a saw mill town on Vancouver Island, British Columbia, which faced no future when its MacMillan Bloedel mill closed. But it refused to die, and created the concept of telling the town's history on outdoor murals by leading Canadian artists .. and the tourists came to see. Today the small town is a byword for self help in the face of adversity. And in 2000 it opened its own theatre club as well. During March and April 2001, field visits were made to Chemainus, 29 Palms, Katikati and Bowen to see directly the outcomes and to meet the people who had achieved so much. Since then, a myriad of visits have followed.

Jim Cursiter completed a further outstanding mural on The Beam Engine at Prestoungrange, 3 in the 21st Century series and was followed in succession by The Village Saltworks, The Potters and Transportation. From July 23rd 2003 The Lord Mayor's visit from Gothenburg Sweden is celebrated with a further mural depicting John Muir and the Goth's founders. And summer 2003 saw two further murals from a youth group and the local school.

Intriguingly, in the 18th Century, a major mural was created to commemorate the life of the 8th Baron of Prestoungrange, Lord Advocate of Scotland from 1746-1754 - in the wake of the Bonnie Prince Charlie's unsuccessful attempt to retake the crown form the Hanoverians.

We have now officially adopted this earliest mural and much more besides is our well documented Murals Trail brochure that guides you around the streets and includes other works of art as well.

The listing of murals continues to grow apace. Full details of all the Prestoungrange Murals (and hundreds of others around the world) can also be seen at the Global Association's Search Engine below: