School Visits
Education and school engagement has always been an important part of the Trust’s work. Since our first schools outreach project in 2009, we have both visited and been visited by countless school children eager to discover the story of the Jacobites and redcoats at Prestonpans.
NEW FOR 2022-23 : Museum & Battlefield Sessions
Book a workshop visit to the Battle of Prestonpans Jacobite Museum!
On the Battlefield: your class will step back in time with their costumed guide, who will take them on a narrative tour of key locations around the Battlefield.
Museum Workshop: your pupils will explore the causes of the battle, see artefacts relating to its story, and discover the clothing and equipment used by the soldiers, all to answer a crucial question – which side are they on?
Combined battlefield tour AND museum workshop (full day): £70 per class
Museum OR battlefield visit (half day): £50 per class
Classes are up to a maximum of 40 pupils. We can facilitate a space for packed lunches between the tour and workshop. For the combined visit, your bus will be required between the battlefield and museum.
To book a visit, please contact: museum@battleofprestonpans1745.org
Classroom Ideas & Resources
If you want to start by exploring the history, here is a great starter guide aimed at young readers:
A wealth of creativity has flowed from the Battle of Prestonpans ever since the day it was fought. We have collected some of the songs and poems which mention the battle, along with few short selections from important 19th century historical novels. You can download the whole collection as one .pdf here for free. It includes some interesting illustrations too! It should be really useful for teachers, and a great starting point for thinking about what you might create yourself.
For some inspiring video content, have a look at our YouTube channel.
And for teachers or parents thinking about possible classroom activities, have a look at these ideas:
Special School/Group Projects
We are always eager to engage with both primary and secondary schools, or other community groups or hobby organisations. This could be as simple as a targeted battlefield tour, focusing on particular themes or skills development, or a more comprehensive project. For example, computing students at Edinburgh College were involved in the development of this website as part of their skills development. Preston Lodge high school pupils have explored the battle’s important for a video project. Air cadets from North Berwick regularly support our re-enactments by undertaking setup and stewarding duties.
If you are a class/group leader and would like to explore a partnership project, please do not hesitate to get in touch with us.