Edinburgh Evening News

Memorial to mystery baby boy reinstalle­d

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Just over 23 years ago, the body of an un-named boy was recovered in the Craigmilla­r area and despite an investigat­ion, his true identity and that of his parents were never found.

The youngster was laid to rest at Mortonhall Cemetery, with more than 400 people in attendance to remember the baby they collective­ly named "Craig Millar" - after the area where he was discovered on March 11 2001.

The memorial will be unveiled at a ceremony tomorrow, next to the football pitches at Harewood Road in the Niddrie area of the city. It was previously on display for the public to pay respects near the Castlebrae Community Campus.

However, since constructi­on began on the campus, the memorial was removed, renovated and stored by William Purves Funeral Directors, free of charge. The memorial will be re-installed by the funeral director tomorrow and will be officially unveiled at 2pm.

It comes after Edinburgh City Council conducted a study and found the majority of residents in the area wanted the memorial to be relocated outside school grounds.

The new location is just a short distance from the original site and the council says it also plans on creating a memorial garden at the original location at the Castlebrae Community Campus.

Housing, homelessne­ss and fair work convener, councillor Jane Meagher, said: "Over two decades on, it's clear to see that the community still care deeply for baby Craig.

"This tragedy is such a large part of Craigmilla­r's history that it's fitting the residents are there to see the memorial returned.

"Residents made sure the memorial was never without fresh flowers or messages of love and it was always immaculate­ly maintained.

"I'm pleased we could respect the wishes of the community and return it to a new location, where it can be easily accessed by people who want to pay their respects."

Andrew Purves, director at William Purves Funeral Directors, added: "As an Edinburghb­ased funeral director, we understand that this memorial stone is very dear to this community. The memorial is a special tribute to the little boy who will always have a place in the hearts of the Craigmilla­r community.”

Residents made sure the memorial was never without fresh flowers

 ?? ?? The memorial to ‘Craig Millar’, the little baby boy found dead in 2001
The memorial to ‘Craig Millar’, the little baby boy found dead in 2001
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