William Wallace Heritage Trust
Homecoming event 2005
Seven hundred years after his death, the Royal Burgh of Lanark prepared to welcome home the Spirit of Wallace - the thoughts of his
present day countrymen gathered at events in London and Stirling, then encapsulated within a symbolic coffin.
The coffin lay in state at St Bart's, London, then later at Stirling Smith Art Gallery and Museum. Finally, visitors to Lanark on the Homecoming day, 11th September 2005, were able to add their messages too.
The day began with the Spirit of Wallace arriving on the outskirts of Lanark, where it was met by a bodyguard comprising of members of Clan Wallace, the William Wallace Society, kith and kin, pipe bands and musicians from Clan Wallace. After a journey via horse drawn cart, the coffin lay 'in state', under guard, at an authentic medieval field chapel erected on the site of Wallace's house.
After giving visitors and residents of Lanark the chance to add their messages to the coffin, the Spirit of Wallace was escorted to Lanark's Castlebank Park for a poignant musical tribute before it wound back through the town to the site of Old St Kentigern's Church. Here Lanark paid it's own spectacular farewell to Wallace - the event finally provided Wallace a 'home' in Lanark - something Longshanks tried to prevent 700 years prior.
