The Soutra Aisle is one of many burial aisles in Scotland but one on a very special site. It is all that remains of the House of the Holy Trinity – one of the three most important hospitals in medieval Scotland. Extensive excavations of the site were carried out in the late 1980’s and early 1990’s. By a happy accident a drain was discovered which had been blocked with medical waste sometime in the 300 years the hospital functioned. Very careful excavation and processing of material from the drain has given us a unique insight into medical practice in this medieval hospital.

The Fala, Soutra and District Historical Association in collaboration with the archaeologists prepared a set of very informative display boards about the findings. These were placed in an open setting in an enclosure next to the Aisle on the hill top looking out over the Lothians and beyond. The site receives many visitors, who enjoy both the information and the setting.

Sadly, a month ago Soutra Aisle was brutally vandalised causing the damage to the boards shown in the pictures. One of the boards was ripped off its mounting and bent double, leaving it quite unusable. The other boards have been badly scratched. These exceptional boards explain very clearly the quite incredible story of the medieval Hospital on this site. In addition, they describe the unique excavations around the site which has given so much information about the medical practices of the time. All these boards will have to be replaced with a scratch-proof finish to protect them and their unique information from any future damage. It will also be necessary to recreate the graphics and text for the restored boards.

With this Justgiving appeal we are seeking to raise £1500 towards replacing the boards which have provided a such unique visitor experience for the many people who visit Soutra Aisle all the year round. Please give what you can to ensure that future visitors will continue to enjoy the same experience as everyone stopping at this unique monument have experienced in the past.