Scotland’s National War Museum is marking the Centenary of the First World War with an exhibition entitled Next of Kin.

The show will run at the National War Museum, Edinburgh, until March 2015, before going on tour to eight venues around Scotland.

Remembering the fallen

Colin McLean, head of the Heritage Lottery Fund in Scotland, said: ‘Objects which were once kept as a way of remembering individual loved ones have been brought together so we can all remember the impact the war had on families and communities across Scotland.

‘As it travels the country, people will have the opportunity to add their own story to this exhibition making sure that their heritage is safeguarded for future generations while giving us a deeper understanding of the conflict.’

Individual stories

The exhibition will look at eight individual stories that consider the impact of the War on servicemen and women and their families in Scotland. Objects on display include postcards and letters, photographs, medals and memorial plaques.

One thread concerns 27-year-old corporal George Buchanan of the Seaforth Highlanders, who was killed in action at the Battle of Loos on 25 September 1915.

The exhibition shows a photograph of Buchanan in uniform, along with his service medals, hia last letter home, the letter from the battalion chaplain to his mother confirming his death and the memorial plaque sent to his next of kin by the government after the war.

As the exhibition tours, the host venues will develop additional content using their own objects and stories related to their respective local areas. The results of these additional contributions will be captured and preserved in the exhibition displays and an online resource.

To find out more about the exhibition, click here.