Plaque unveiled to commemorate Arctic explorer Dr John Rae

A plaque dedicated to the memory of Orcadian Arctic explorer Dr John Rae was unveiled at his childhood home at a small ceremony this afternoon.

The bronze plaque at the Hall of Clestrain in Orphir is set on Orkney stone, the top part of which has been polished to resemble the North West Passage which Dr Rae discovered in 1854.

He also discovered the fate of the expedition led by Sir John Franklin which disappeared after leaving England in 1845 to search for the North West Passage.

The memorial, funded by Historic Scotland’s National Commemorative Plaque Scheme, was unveiled by landowner Jean Craigie.

The ceremony coincided with the date of Dr Rae’s birth, having been born at the Hall of Clestrain on September 30, 1813.

He died in Kensington, London, on July 22, 1893.