CONCERNS have been raised about the official recognition of women in Scotland's historical past - as new research found that "objects" were better celebrated in plaques in the nation's two biggest cities.

It has further emerged that just over one in four who have been awarded official 'commemorative plaque' status in Scotland recent years were female.

Of the 32 people recognised in two rounds of recipients of the Historic Environment Scotland (HES) Commemorative Plaque scheme in the past two years - just nine (28%) were women.

A new analysis of data from Open Plaques, which curates, and promotes commemorative plaques and historical markers has further raised concerns about the dirth of recognition noteworthy women in Scottish public life.

It found that there were more plaques in Scotland’s two main cities commemorating 'objects' such as buildings and locations than women.

The research found that just one in 20 of the City of Glasgow's commemorative plaques were dedicated to inspirational women, with only four of the area's 85 plaques being dedicated to female figures.

They include Mary Barbour, the social reformer, rent strike leader and women's peace crusader who lived between 1875 and 1958.

Some two in three of the City of Glasgow's plaques celebrated notable men - with 56 nameplates dedicated to males.

A further 30% of Glasgow plaques were dedicated to buildings and locations rather than a person and includes the University of Glasgow and 'the oldest surviving train station in Glasgow, Pollokshaws West.

Of the areas of Scotland with the most female-dedicated plaques, City of Edinburgh had by far the most with 59, followed by Dumfries with four, the City of Glasgow and Fife with four each and the City of Dundee with two.

But according to the analysis commissioned by travel letting company, Holiday Cottages. the City of Edinburgh there were 65 commemorative object-dedicated plaques including Edinburgh Castle's 16th century Portcullis Gate.

"Generally the number of plaques dedicated to female figures is remarkably low in Scotland with a large number of areas only having one plaque that honours inspirational women," the research claimed.

While Historic Environment Scotland (HES) championed "six trailblazing women from Scotland's past" when announcing the latest round of recipients of its Commemorative Plaque scheme in February - it went under the radar that a further 11 were men.

And at the end of 2018, of the 15 influential people who lived and worked in Scotland who received commemorative plaque status, just three were women.

Lady Margaret Sackville from the National Galleries of Scotland

They included pacifist Lady Margaret Sackville, the British poet and author whose works focussed on the brutality of war and women’s social freedom.

Also recognised was Mary Symon, the Scottish poet who penned several of the best-known poems telling the impact of the First World War upon the people of Scotland.

The third was Elizabeth Sanderson Haldane, an eminent public figure, author, biographer, philosopher, suffragist, nursing administrator and social welfare worker who became the first female Justice of the Peace in Scotland in 1920.

The headline recipient for the year was not even Scottish. Bram Stoker, the Irish author was recognised amongst the list of "significant Scots" after spending time in Aberdeenshire while writing his definitive work, the 1897 gothic novel Dracula.

The HES national scheme, which has been running since 2012, celebrates noteworthy individuals from Scottish public life, as nominated by the public, by erecting plaques on buildings with strong links to their life or work.

In February, of the 17 "influential people who lived and worked in Scotland" that were recognised, six were women ranging from the country’s first female solicitor to the first Scottish woman to direct a feature-length film.

One of those honoured was Madge Easton Anderson, the first female solicitor in Scotland and also the first to practise law on both sides of the border.

The plaque to Ms Anderson, who died in 1982 and was also a partner in the first known law firm to be led entirely by women, was to be installed at the University of Glasgow’s School of Law.

Another recipient is Isobel Wylie Hutchison, an Arctic traveller and botanist who risked her life collecting plants for Edinburgh's Royal Botanic Gardens and Kew in London.

During her career she also pioneered new routes across inhospitable terrain and captured some of the earliest documentary footage ever recorded.

Her plaque was to be placed at her lifelong home of Carlowrie Castle in West Lothian.

The other four women on this year's list were social reformer Mary Burton, writer Cicily Isabel Fairfield (better known as Rebecca West), town planner Elizabeth Buchanan Mitchell and film director Dr Margaret Caroline Tait.

While Ms Fairfield was born in London, her mother was Scottish and she lived in Edinburgh as a child, with her early home providing the inspiration for her novel The Judge.

Dr Tait, who died in 1999, became the first Scottish woman to direct a feature length film with 1992's Blue Black Permanent, and was also an accomplished poet.

In championing the six women Barbara Cummins, director of heritage at HES, said: “As we look forward to marking Women’s History Month, I hope that awarding these plaques will bring some much-deserved recognition to some of the leading female figures from Scotland’s past.”

A HES spokesman said it was recognised there was an under-representation of women’s achievements throughout history and added: “This is something we – alongside many other heritage bodies – are looking to proactively address through initiatives such as our commemorative plaque scheme."

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