The Heritage Department at Heart of Midlothian Football Club is proud to announce the completion of the Maroon Mile Project. Led by Lianne Parry, the five-strong team has worked to design, research and deliver this unique initiative.
Developed in collaboration with the Club and The Foundation of Hearts, the Maroon Mile has been brought to life at Tynecastle Park, with generous support from the National Lottery Heritage Fund.
Heart of Midlothian FC and The Foundation of Hearts extend their heartfelt thanks to National Lottery players for making this project possible.
Over the last eighteen months the Heritage Department has delivered a mile-long heritage trail with an audio tour, BSL elements and tactile activities. The trail starts at the iconic Haymarket War Memorial and continues up through Dalry and Gorgie finishing at the Hearts Museum at Tynecastle Park where three new interactive touchscreens have been installed. The trail encompasses the area’s rich history highlighting the buildings, people, and events associated with Gorgie and Dalry. Although the project has been led by the football club, the heritage trail focuses on the social, economic, industrial and sporting history of the area. The Heart of Midlothian has enjoyed iconic status in Gorgie and neighbouring Dalry since the late 19th century with a rich history that is ingrained with that of the local community.
The community has been central to the development and design of the trail and local community groups, schools, and organisations have all played a vital role throughout the process. The banners which line the Maroon Mile route contain pictures drawn by local children featuring depictions of what Gorgie and Dalry mean to them such as shops, friends and football.
The Maroon Mile is more than just a heritage trail. The project has created two handling kits which can be used by schools, care homes and youth groups. The handling kits are free to use and have an array of activities relating to the sounds, smells and sights of Gorgie and Dalry.
An educational programme was also included in the project including digital skills, oral history training and Wikithons to allow attendees to develop new skills. Over eighteen months, three digital skills workshops were held for school-aged children to learn how to create an interactive timeline of the history of the club.
Over the last year, the Oral History Curator has been working closely with the Club and the local community to capture a range of stories, experiences and voices reflective of the area. The project has created a unique archive of oral history stories with 31 entries which can be accessed via the museum.
About the Heritage Department
The department is led by Lianne Parry and consists of a small team of five who have designed, researched and delivered this project. The project has been supported by a proactive team of volunteers. Annually the heritage department runs approximately 150 tours, and welcomes thousands of museum visitors. The Heart of Midlothian Heritage Department oversees the club Museum, Memorial Garden, stadium and coach tours and all events associated with the history and heritage of the Club. The museum collection and archive consist of over 15,000 objects, many of which are accessible to the public via the museum and interactive touchscreens.
The HMFC Museum is open Thursday to Saturday 10am – 4pm and 10am until 2pm on Sundays.
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Lianne Parry, Head of Heritage at Heart of Midlothian Football Club said,
“Receiving this funding during the Club’s 150th anniversary year afforded Hearts a unique opportunity to expand our work outwards within Gorgie & Dalry. Through researching and sharing stories and imagery, the project has successfully highlighted the deep connections between the Club, its supporters, and the wider community. This has been a wonderful collaboration with local groups, expertly guided by heritage professionals, and a fitting way to celebrate the Club’s enduring role as a key sporting institution in the capital city.”
Caroline Clark, The National Lottery Heritage Fund Director for Scotland said,
“The Maroon Mile project has delivered a fantastic celebration of the shared heritage of Hearts and the community.
“In addition to creating the Maroon Mile route from the war memorial at Haymarket to the stadium Heart of Midlothian Football Club and Foundation of Hearts have, through this project, strengthened the connections between club and community and delivered opportunities to get involved and learn new skills.”
