One of the most controversial figures of the First World War will take centre stage as the Western Front Association’s first Scotland National Conference is held in Dundee on Saturday.
Edinburgh-born Douglas Haig was a decorated officer, feted for his service in the Sudan and Boer War, when the conflict began.
He commanded the British Expeditionary Force and was Britain’s commander-in-chief during the Somme battle.
It led to the loss of 600,000 allied troops for the gain of ten miles of land and Field Marshall Haig took much criticism for the sheer loss of life and for the conventional advance of infantry troops on enemy lines he employed.
The full-day conference, Scotland in the Great War, will put his actions in context, with Professor Gary Sheffield delivering a lecture entitled Douglas Haig: Hero of Scotland, Britain and the Empire.
Professors Pete Simkins and Stephen Badsey and renowned historians Rob Thomson and Yvonne McEwen will also look at the conflict through Scottish eyes.
They will explore the Battle of Loos, the service and sacrifice of young Scotsmen and the country’s place in the propaganda war.
The Western Front Association was formed in 1980 to maintain interest in the First World War and remember the sacrifice of those who fought on all fronts and on all sides.
Its first national conference in Scotland takes place in the Bonar Hall between 9am and 4.30pm.
Visit www.westernfrontassociation.com for more information or to secure a place.