Now statues will have information attached to them explaining links to slavery, colonialism and global conflicts

By GRAHAM GRANT, SCOTTISH HOME AFFAIRS EDITOR Published: 18:26, 24 July 2026 | Updated: 18:26, 24 July 2026 Statues in Scotland’s biggest city will have information attached to them explaining historical figures’ links to slavery, colonialism and global conflicts. Glasgow City Council said all 11 statues in George Square, which have been removed in stages as the square undergoes its biggest transformation in decades, will be returned with new educational resources explaining the individuals’ rise to prominence. Visitors will also be able to access information about the figures via leaflets and QR codes. Among the people commemorated is the military commander Lord Clyde, who was involved in suppressing the Indian Rebellion of 1857. The move comes after council chiefs sparked a row by setting up a walking trail to illustrate the ‘lasting impact of its role in the transatlantic slave trade’. Glasgow City Council used taxpayers’ cash from a £200,000 ‘City Stories’ fund to set up the route which aims to ‘give residents and visitors a better understanding’ of the ‘past and its legacies’. Professor Emeritus Sir Tom Devine of the University of Edinburgh, Scotland’s leading historian, told the Mail earlier this week the trail will ‘add to the knowledge of Glasgow citizens and visitors alike of this controversial period of the city’s history’. But he said it was wrong that there was ‘no mention of the role of Glasgow intellectuals like Adam Smith and John Millar in undermining slavery’. Eleven statues in George Square were removed in stages as the square underwent its biggest transformation in decades When George Square reopens at the end of October, the statues and information about them will be included in the Legacy of Slavery and Colonialism Trail. The first stage of the trail takes in sites including the Merchant City, Trongate and the Gallery of Modern Art, and explains Glasgow’s background using plaques. There have been rows in the past about plaques on statues. In 2023, a group led by descendants of Henry Dundas replaced a plaque on the Melville Monument in Edinburgh, erected in honour of Dundas in 1827, because they felt it inaccurately portrayed his part in the slave trade. It said that Dundas had been ‘instrumental in deferring the abolition of the Atlantic slave trade’ and added: ‘As a result of this delay, more than half a million enslaved Africans crossed the Atlantic.’ It was dedicated ‘to the memory of the more than half a million Africans whose enslavement was a consequence of Henry Dundas’s actions’. City of Edinburgh council returned the plaque, saying it would ‘not allow the actions of a minority to derail the important ongoing work to address the legacies of slavery and colonialism’. Glasgow prospered in the 18th and 19th centuries from industries such as tobacco, sugar and cotton. Lisa Williams, founder of the Edinburgh Caribbean Association, said that all monuments should be better explained. She told The Times: ‘If we don’t know who the historical figures were and what they did, what is the reason for keeping them in our public space a century or more after they were erected?’ Ms Williams argued that although plaques could play a role, they should be complemented by more imaginative ways of engaging visitors, including digital technology and new artworks. Back in 2022, Glasgow City Council issued an apology over historic links with the slave trade. It followed a controversial report commissioned by the local authority which singled out historic buildings, monuments and street names which were deemed contentious because they commemorate people who profited from slavery. Glasgow City Council said the statues in George Square will be returned with new educational resources Making the apology in 2022, Susan Aitken, leader of the council, said: ‘Glasgow’s history to the present day echoes to the crack of the plantation overseer’s lash.’ Eight statues and 62 street names were found to be linked to the slave trade in the report by historian Dr Stephen Mullen from Glasgow University. The Glasgow Slavery Audit was commissioned to determine the historic connections and modern legacies derived from the Atlantic slave trade. Glasgow City Council stressed that the decision to add historical interpretation to statues was not a direct consequence of the redevelopment of George Square. The £24million re-shaping of the square started early last year and includes a raised lawn, sheltered seating and feature lighting. Although the square had been expected to reopen in early September, it has been delayed until the end of October after the discovery of uncharted underground services.