Visitor Centre Lessons from 2007 and Looking to 2008 at Meadowmill and beyond

Learning from our 2007 'Temporary' Visitor Centre

The Trust was certainly proud to provide the temporary Visitor Centre made possible by the generous help of Malcolm Scott at Meadowmill. RAC local signage helped many find their way to its doors.

With the greatly appreciated assistance of a dozen volunteers the Centre received more than a thousand weekend visitors over the period June/ September and enlisted more than a few as online Supporters here. The Prince's Battle Flag was raised atop the bing [and it's still flying throughout the winter too.] Needless to say it was a very great disappointment that East Lothian Council could not get the Interpretation Plates back up again throughout the entire tourist period, but there's 2008 to look forward to now.

Sports Centre ready to Offer Enquiry Help All Year Round

We are delighted to report that the Sports Centre at Meadowmill, which is open all year round, has readily agreed to mount several Battle Display Boards indoors there and to make Walking Tour brochures available for enquirers. They have in truth been offering advice for many a year already since caual visitors usually make their way to that Centre to seek directions.

Secondly, and somewhat exuberantly, the Trustees have decided to acquire a former East Lothian Mobile Library and to deck it out as a touring Visitor Centre. The mobile library is pictured below [parked up in a used truck lot in West Lothian!]. It will hit the road in the Spring. The great virtue of such mobiity of course is that it can take our Campaign to schools, Farmers' Markets, any events venues and more besides. And it can always be at Meadowmill when needed there for the critically significant days each year. Kristine Cunningham, who led the resourcing in 2007, believes it's a perfect answer. The Arts Festival team is already commissioned to create an exterior for the Battle Bus that will maximise its impact and there are plans for very audible and visible Living History too.

click on images to enalarge




P.S.

We cannot claim credit for the original idea of a mobile BattleBus. We were inspired by the lead given in The Pans by 'The Logan Cousins' and Colin and friends with their Music Bus, detailed below.