Old Travel Blog Photograph St Margaret's Park Edinburgh Scotland

Old travel Blog photograph of St Margaret's Park in Corstorphine, Edinburgh, Scotland. The park was laid out by Ebenezer James MacRae, born 18 January 1881, died 15 January 1951, who was a Scottish architect serving as City Architect for Edinburgh for most of his active life. He was the son of Reverend Alexander MacRae of the Free Church of Scotland. To family and friends he was generally known as Ben MacRae. He studied architecture under Archibald MacPherson from 1899 to 1907, remaining good friends until death. He trained at both Heriot Watt College, Edinburgh University and later Edinburgh College of Art. He qualified as an architect in 1914. He served in the Royal Engineers during World War I then returned to Edinburgh as Depute City Architect. In 1925 he was promoted to City Architect, a role he held until retiral in 1946. In 1936, the young William Gordon Dey worked under MacRae undertaking the city survey of the Canongate. He died at the Deaconess Hospital in the Pleasance Edinburgh after a short illness. He was cremated at Warriston Crematorium on 22 January 1951 and his ashes were scattered in the Garden of Remembrance there. A memorial plaque to his memory stands in the south arcade of the crematorium.





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