Yes please! We've been asking for years .....

Hey! That's the battle site!

Life takes strange turns does it not? Here's one that can potentially make us happy and farmers to boot.

You no doubt heard the trouble Transport Minister Chris Grayling MP got into south of The Border when planning for Brexit by hiring ferries from a company that had no ships? Well, we're headed for trouble, happy trouble, as we tender for a lease of this sacred spot of land although we've got no farming equipment. In fact we've been asking East Lothian Council [ELC] if we could lease the land [and Scottish Power before them] since 2006.



Only last month [January 7th 2019] the 1745 Battle Trust entered its official Inquiry [Their Ref: # ELC 070119-8DT] to lease or acquire the lands under Scotland's recent Community Empowerment Act 2015.



It's Zone 4 on the former Cockenzie Power Station lands

We're a tad disappointed that nobody in ELC let us know it was being offered for lease. It's the area where we've carried out archaeological surveys, it's the presumed location of the burial areas of the nigh on 500 who died in the battle in September 1745.

Our proposal is to lease it [preferably we really want to purchase it] and return it to agriculture as it was in September 1745. It had just been cropped when Cope set up camp on September 20th.

And yes, we do indeed have a farmer who has been our partner in this ambition for the past 5 years.



… and Yes, we did send the plan along dated Monday January 14th 2019 @ 11.28; same as on the advertisement above from ELC - our's below; acknowledged by ELC at 2.32 on even date.

"As promised, I attach an image of the area the Trust wishes to purchase/ lease ... and return to agriculture.
As you may be aware it includes the following features which we will of course respect and conserve:

Site of British camp the night before the battle (and deployments on 20th Sept)
Part of area of rout and pursuit
Site of Gardiner's last stand and the Thorntree
Likely burial area for the dead
Section of historic wagonway route
Scheduled ancient monument (Waggonway Field East)
Battlefield interpretation board
Memorial tables for all who fought