Dawn ceremony plans for Remembrance Day commemorations
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PIPERS and drummers will take part in a moving dawn ceremony during next month’s Remembrance Day as part of a weekend programme of events in Inverness to mark the centenary of the end of World War I.
They will gather at Inverness Castle on November 11 to play a well-known lament The Battle’s O’er at 6am to coincide with the signing of the Armistice agreement 100 years ago.
The event, which will be among similar ceremonies across the UK, will herald other commemorations during the day including the main Remembrance parade and ceremony with a two-minute silence at 11am recalling the moment the guns fell silent on the battlefield.
The events are being organised by the Inverness branch of the Royal British Legion Scotland (RBLS) and Highland Council and will involve city churches and other organisations.
Joe Davidson, branch chairman, said it will conclude a four-year programme of commemorations raising awareness of the global conflict in which millions died.
"I think people have been interested as it has grown over the past four years," he said.
"The numbers of people at each Remembrance Day have grown.
"I have also been impressed with the interest from schools now. Secondary schools are very much taking part in events and going on trips to the battlefields.
"Interest among individuals has increased and prompted them look up their family history."
The city’s Armistice 100 programme will begin on Saturday November 10 when a memorial candle will be taken in procession from the cathedral to the Old High Church for a service.
It will be the reverse of a similar parade four years ago marking the centenary of the start of the war when a candle was taken to cathedral where it has remained alight ever since.
The event will begin at 3pm and will include a World War I horse-drawn ambulance plus serving military personnel and former service people,
Although not part of the Armistice 100 events, wreaths will be placed the same day at the grave of Sir Anthony Miers who received the Victoria Cross during World War II and at the Commonwealth War Graves in Tomnahurich Cemetery as well as at the grave of Victoria Cross recipient Colour Sergeant James Munro in the Craig Dunain Hospital Cemetery.
The following day, hundreds are expected to take part in the city’s main Remembrance parade which will set off from Huntly Street at 10.10am for the war memorial at Cavell Gardens.
It will include representatives of the services, former military personnel, cadets, youth organisations, schools, politicians and civic and church leaders.
City churches, which would usually hold their Remembrance services in the morning, have agreed to alter their times to avoid clashing with the commemoration which in other years has taken place in the afternoon.
The service will include epitaphs read by Culloden Academy head boy Gavin Ryan and head girl Elle Fraser.
An orchestral event will be performed by Ness Sinfonia in Inverness Cathedral at 5pm. It will close with a sunset ceremony including RBLS standard bearers, a Salvation Army bugler and a piper from the Inverness RBLS Pipe Band.
The Inverness Choral Society will perform The Armed Man by Carol Jenkins at Eden Court on November 17 to commemorate the ending of hostilities.
