The Edinburgh Riding of the Marches is an event that the Lord Provost has described as one of the most visually arresting of his tenure thus far. It takes place this Sunday so you would be well-advised not to miss it!
This year the event will commemorate the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War. In partnership with leading veterans’ charity Poppyscotland, over 270 riders led by the Edinburgh Captain, Captains Lass and the First and Second Officers will inspect the city boundaries before making their way to the Royal Mile to stage a spectacular mounted cavalcade.
The Edinburgh Riding of the Marches takes place on Sunday 7 September 2014 and will attract representatives from the 30 riding towns of Scotland from as far afield as Shetland in the north to Annan in the south. The event attracts around 15,000 spectators throughout the city.
The contribution to the First World War by horsemen and horses alike was profound. In the region of 6,000 horsemen lost their lives in cavalry attacks and a further 16,000 were injured. A total of 1 million horses were sent to the front with only 65,000 returning to Britain. To this day, horses are still used within the military in ceremonial parades and in the rehabilitation of ex-Servicemen and women. This is reflected in the representation of HorseBack UK in the ride, an equine therapy charity which has received funding from Poppyscotland.
The cavalcade of 270 horses will leave Holyrood Park at 3.30pm and then make its way up the Royal Mile to the Mercat Cross, opposite the City Chambers, where the city banner will be returned by Captain for 2014, Stuart Mitchell. This will take place from 4pm.
The Riding of the Marches commemorates the tradition of inspecting the city’s boundaries first recorded in 1579, although the tradition is likely to have been carried out for centuries before. In times of peace after the Union of Parliaments in 1707, the annual inspection ceased until 1946 when a ride was held to celebrate peace after the Second World War. It returned in 2009 and has grown into one of the city’s major annual events.
A collection will take place for Poppyscotland on Sunday, with volunteers from the charity on the Royal Mile offering the public the opportunity to make a donation to support those who have served, those still serving and their families.
Further information can be found at www.edinburghridingthemarches.co.uk
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
