\n The Battle of Pitreavie took place 375 years ago on July 20, 1651. (Image: David Wardle)\n<\/p>\n
\n It saw Oliver Cromwell\u2019s English forces defeat a smaller Scottish army in a short but brutal clash, with an estimated 1,600 Scots killed and 1,200 taken prisoner.\n<\/p>\n
\n It all came about after Rab Walker, from Falling Up Together, was asked if he had ever heard of the Battle of Pitreavie, which he hadn\u2019t.\n<\/p>\n
\n From there, several artists went down to the battlefield to see it for themselves.\n<\/p>\n
\n The exhibit got a positive response from the public. (Image: David Wardle)\n<\/p>\n
\n Rab said: \u201cSo there were 19 folk there, expecting to look at the grounds and personally consider what might this scrubland mean to us and everybody’s joining in, audio recording on their phone, filming, actually pretending to be Cromwellian soldiers.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cFrom that point onwards, we had a feeling we wanted to do something.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n After that, it evolved into the artists creating the exhibition, which was held at Pittencrieff House, finishing on August 26.\n<\/p>\n
\n The exhibit got a positive response from the public. (Image: David Wardle)\n<\/p>\n
\n Laura Gregory, one of the trustees at Falling UP Together, commented: \u201cI think it’s just naturally kind of evolved from somebody raising awareness that there was a battle that took place there, and then it inspired a lot of people in the collective to create artwork, which was on the theme of battle, loss, war.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cThen it created enough work that we could exhibit it. Therefore, we ended up creating the exhibit in Pittencrieff House and that just got a really positive response from members of the public.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n Recently, the issue of the battle site\u2019s future in Rosyth has become topical, as proposals for 180 houses can go ahead.\n<\/p>\n
\n There have been concerns that developers could even dig up bodies which may still remain in the area.\n<\/p>\n
\n A quarter of the 180 homes will be affordable housing and the plans also include new access roads, landscaping and open space.\n<\/p>\n
\n During the exhibition, the artists spoke to over 1,600 people who came to see the artwork about the battle and its significance.\n<\/p>\n
\n As part of the display, there was a sculpture which featured red fabric.\n<\/p>\n
\n The exhibit got a positive response from the public. (Image: David Wardle)\n<\/p>\n
\n This trailed around the space and was to represent the Pinkerton Burn, which ran red with blood for three days following the fight.\n<\/p>\n
\n Wendy McPhail, of Falling UP Together, said: \u201cI think people just felt they could approach any of the artists.\n<\/p>\n
\n “There wasn’t that sort of thing of, better not disturb the artist, people would just come up and speak to you and ask you about various pieces of artwork.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
\n The Battle of Pitreavie exhibition in Pittencrieff House. (Image: David Wardle)\n<\/p>\n
\n Laura added: \u201cIt did generate a lot of interest from members of the public about the area and how it could be preserved if you like.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cThere are a lot of industrial units there and there is a cairn as well which commemorates the battle, but that’s hidden away.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cIt’s in between two business units on the business park and if you didn’t know it was there you would you would just pass it by.\n<\/p>\n
\n \u201cI think this exhibition was slightly different to what we’ve done before in terms of the collaboration with local historians and different groups about raising awareness of that space, and keeping it known as a local history site rather than it just being lost.\u201d\n<\/p>\n
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