The battle of Dunbar (1650) was a tragedy for Scotland.
But I didn’t realise the connections to the central Borders, and that the feelings of people at the time are clearly on display in Galashiels (in Latin)
Uncovering the Voice of 17th Century Galashiels
In the quiet heart of Galashiels, nestled beside the remains of a long-lost church, lies Gala Aisle—a modest burial chamber that hides a powerful piece of forgotten history. While the building may seem unremarkable, one gravestone inside tells a dramatic and emotional story, carved in Latin, etched in stone, and shaped by tragedy.
🎥 Watch the full video here:
Gala Aisle Gravestone Translation – YouTube
⛪ A Chapel of the Past
Gala Aisle once stood attached to a now-vanished church. This was no ordinary grave site—this was the resting place of important figures in Galashiels’ past, those who would have looked through the little window toward their community and congregation.
Among the wall panels inside, one stands out—a memorial for Reverend Mark Duncan, Minister of Galashiels from 1648 to 1651. The panel sits quietly, passed by without comment, yet the words it bears (in Latin) are a cry from the heart of a nation under siege.
⚔️ The Battle of Dunbar – A National Tragedy
The Battle of Dunbar in 1650 was a brutal and devastating moment for Scotland. Cromwell’s English army crushed Scottish forces, capturing thousands and executing many more. It was a loss felt deeply in every corner of the country—including the Borders.
But while many today have never heard of Dunbar, the people of Galashiels did not forget. They engraved their pain, anger, and mourning into stone.
📜 The Translation
Here’s what the Latin inscription actually says:
“Shattered Scotland bewails the slaughter of our heroes, and our church mourns the plight of her lamb. That man, Mark Duncan, minister, whose virtues exceeded his years, departs—carried off neither by violence nor by old age. Dying, he speaks to his church, to a widowed country, and to his loved relatives.
I live: Victory is won by him whom God loves.
He died on 15 November 1651, in the 27th year of his age and the 3rd of his ministry.”
🇸🇨 The Forgotten Cost of War
This isn’t just poetic language. It’s grief, anger, and defiance carved into sandstone. The minister of Galashiels, one of many who supported the Covenanting cause, paid the ultimate price for his beliefs. But what of the others? The farmers, tradesmen, and ordinary lads from Galashiels who marched to Dunbar and never returned?
Roughly 6,000 Scottish prisoners were captured. Many were marched in chains to Durham Cathedral, where thousands more died. Their names, unlike Reverend Duncan’s, were not etched into walls. They were forgotten.
🕯️ Why We Must Remember
Today, the Gala Aisle panel goes largely unnoticed. The translation isn’t on the information board. Why not? Is it too politically charged? Too uncomfortable?
But this is our history. Our story. The people of the Scottish Borders lived through war, oppression, and tragedy. Their voices deserve to be heard. And now, perhaps, they finally are.
