Edinburgh Council Set to Approve Controversial Elsie Inglis Statue on Royal Mile

Edinburgh City Council is set to approve a controversial statue of Dr Elsie Inglis, a pioneering Scottish doctor and suffragist, to be erected on the Royal Mile. Designed by royal sculptor Alexander Stoddart, the statue will be the first of a woman on this historic street and depicts Inglis in her Scottish Women's Hospitals for Foreign Service uniform, representing her leadership in founding all-women hospitals during World War One. While her family and supporters view the statue as a fitting tribute to her humanitarian work and legacy, critics argue the design is militaristic, overlooks her contributions to local maternity services, and that the commission process excluded female artists. Additionally, some campaigners have called for a plaque acknowledging her family's historical links to the slave trade. The council has received 237 objections and 408 letters of support, with the final approval recommended contingent on reducing the plinth's height to better fit the site. Protests and debates continue, reflecting wider discussions on representation and historical context in public monuments.