Lauder Monument, Argyll
Where is the Lauder Monument?
The monument erected by Sir Harry Lauder for his son Captain John Lauder after his death in the First World War is close to the A815. When you enter the National Park when travelling on that road from Strachur to Dunoon, look for signs for the Lauder Monument beyond the Gateway marker for Loch Lomond & The Trossachs.
Local Visitor Guides
For details of this and other nearby points of interest in the area, read our Cowal Peninsula Highlights guide. Our Lauder Monument guide was published in December 2018 following a special event there; it has since been updated following further visits to the site.
Lauder Memorial Event
We were delighted to attend a special event on Friday 28th December 2018 at the Lauder Monument at Invernoaden in Argyll. The event was to commemorate Captain John Lauder on the 102nd anniversary of his death in France during the First World War.
The ceremony also marked the completion of a 3-year project by conservation and heritage charity, Friends of Loch Lomond & The Trossachs, to restore the Lauder Monument built by famous entertainer Sir Harry Lauder in memory of his son.
June 2018 Site Photographs
Our last visit to the Lauder Monument was in the summer, where we found the memorial in desperate need of cleaning. The railings around the memorial desperately needed painting, and the pathways needed clearing and repair for better access.
Lauder Memorial Site
Those were the 'before' pictures, now some 'after' pictures. The £25,000 project, coordinated by Friends of Loch Lomond and The Trossachs, included introducing a car park with connecting path, upgrading an existing steep path with stone steps and safety railings and two new story panels and various signage.
Funding came from two Landfill Trusts and the Friends of OUR park visitor giving scheme, with many hundreds of hours of labour generously provided by volunteers to complete the project on time.
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December 2018 Event
Back to the event and local youngsters contributed with a series of their original drawings depicting the tragic Lauder Story adorning the ornate railings around the monument and poignant letter and poetry readings as well as musical tributes on the bagpipes, including Battle of the Somme.
At the event was the great-grandson of one of the people who had been at the memorials opening in 1921. Also, someone had brought along their cherished Sir Harry Lauder signed photograph.
Local MSP Mike Russell unveiled the new storyboards beside the monument. The event came to a close with a rendition of Harry Lauder’s famous song ‘Keep right on to the end of the road’, which he wrote in memory of his son.
The Lauder Legacy
Sir Harry Lauder purchased nearby Invernoaden House and the 14,000-acre Glenbranter Estate as an engagement present for his son John and fiance, Mildred Thomson, in 1916. Tragically John was killed in service before they were married. Glenbranter was eventually sold to the Forestry & Land Scotland to form part of the Argyll Forest Park-the first Forest Park created in Great Britain.
In his day, Harry Lauder was one of the worlds biggest and high paid entertainers. The first British artist to sell a million records and a favourite of the rich and famous, including Winston Churchill. Harrys connection with Glenbranter endures today thanks to this restored and improved monument.
2021 Photograph
Here is a photograph taken a few years of the Lauder Monument on a spring day.
Thanks for reading
Words and photography by Paul Saunders. Visit Paul’s Marketing and Photography websites for details of his services in Scotland.
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