Prestonpans Battle Re-enactments: September 18th/ 19th 2009

You can click on the two images below to enlarge and print out!

The 77th Montgomeries, the Glenbuckets, Lace Wars, Prince Charles Edward's Regiment of Derby ... and our own Alan Breck Regiment of Prestonpans Volunteers with our own Pipes and Drums ... all are making their final arrangments ....



Friday afternoon, September 18th, and all day Saturday September 19th, are destined to see perhaps the 'best' re-enactments ever staged in The Pans. The Trust certainly hopes so. There are umpteen highlights but the sight of the Camerons charging six redcoat cannons as they did on September 21st 264 years ago is no doubt going to be one of them.

1995 and All That ....

It was in 1995 that The Pans first arranged a magnificent celebration of Bonnie Prince Charlie's Victory in 1745 hereabouts. The occasion was captured on video and is available on the website HERE

Extracts are also regularly shown in the BattleBus as it visits schools and community groups.

Since 2006 when the Battle Trust was formally established, annual re-enactments have been instituted

One of the earliest decisions of the Trustees was to seek to commemorate the Battle each year on the 'right' weekend in September with historically accurate re-enactments. To assemble 2500 troops on each side, redcoats and Highlanders, was clearly a tough call, so they opted to undertake cameo re-enactments of well recorded incidents as opposed to the final Highland charge and the redcoats flight up Johnnie Cope Way. [That is being held in reserve for the Grand Opening of the Battle's Living History Centre in the fullness of time.]

All these cameos can be viewed on the web HERE

And a full length dvd capturing the whole sequence since 2006 is currently in production - it will 'premiere' at the Prince's Loyal Clans Exhibition - more details below.

So what else is in store for 2009?

The full schedule is given on the two images above of course, but it includes Andrew Dallmeyer's new deathbed scene to be played out called Colonel Gardiner: Vice and Virtue. And the Exhibition of The Prince's Loyal Clans at The Gothenburg is a formal education with artefacts that include a wee section of the actual thorntree beneath which Colonel Gardiner was fatally wounded in 1745.

The opportunity to Walk the Riggonhead Defile at 4.30 am in the morning as the sun rises is again on offer. All who have made the Walk already are of course welcome again. They know it starts with a Scotch egg and an apple and of the true quality of the fine breakfast served at The Gothenburg at 7 am. But many new faces are expected as its atmosphere and excitement become ever more widely known. It was that Walk overnight that gave the Prince the tactical advantage that carried the day in 9 minutes flat as the Highlanders charged out of the morning mists with the rising sun in the red coats eyes. N.B. All insensitive suggestions received that it should take place at any other time have been dismissed out of hand - so don't even ask!

... and by popular request ... you can 'Meet the Re-enactors' in their camp ...

Since 2006 the Montgomeries from the Czech Republic have regularly camped out at Bankton House and welcomed visitors. For 2009 all re-enactors are being invited to camp in Cuthill Park from Friday 3pm till midday Sunday 20th September. And throughout that time vistors will be welcomed and able to share in yarning about long ago Jacobite and redcoat times. And more now doubt! Greg Dawson-Allen, the Trust's own StoryTeller-in-Chief will be here throughout too with another fine stock of tales and some particular occasions for youngsters.

Two furthur fascinating initiatives from the Trust will also be on display. Gordon Veitch's BattleGame Prestonpans will be gearing up for its 2009/ 2010 International BattleGame Competition - with £1000 prize money on offer to the champion in September 2010.

So too will work-in-progress on artist Andrew Crummy's 79 x 1 metre panels Prestonpans Tapestry, now being embroidered across France, the Highlands and the Lowlands. That too is scheduled for Parading to the Nation in September 2010. There's still an opportunity for stitchers across Scotland to volunteer to do the necessary embroidery although more and more panels are being spoken for as the weeks go by. If you're not up to speed on the Tapestry, link across HERE

.... and then of course there's the seashore sight of the redcoats seeking to flee to Pittenweem with the help of the Forth Yacht Club after their humiliating defeat in Cuthill Park ....

.... and finally there's the now traditional ceilidh at the Community Centre from 6.30 pm to round the whole thing off.

SO BE SURE TO MAKE DIARY NOTES for the weekend!