Despite being battered, beaten, and struck by lightning, the oak tree planted by Thomas Carlyle to mark the birthplace of John Knox remains unbowed. However, the weather-beaten stone memorial has not fared as well. Now that the inscription has become barely legible, a new plaque, partly funded by the society, is being made for this important heritage site which draws visitors from around the world. The new inscription will feature an image of the house in Giffordgate, where he was said to have been born, and portraits of the reformer. A QR code will link to a short article on the HHS website giving more information about Haddington’s most famous son. You can get a sneak preview here and if you want to find out more about John Knox there is probably no better place to start than with ‘The First Blast of the Trumpet‘ a youtube video narrated by our chair, Marie Macpherson.
Watch this space for news about the unveiling.