Garden of Remembrance opened with ceremony

The Lord Provost of the City of Edinburgh the Rt Hon Frank Ross led a special group of wreath-layers at the annual Opening Ceremony of the Edinburgh Garden of Remembrance, at the Scott Monument, Princes Street Gardens earlier this week.

Standard Bearers

There were many members of the Armed Forces past and present at the event. We met one former Royal Engineer, Tom More, who had been very much looking forward to the event, and meeting up with some former colleagues.

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The Lord Provost, Paul Wheelhouse MSP and Lt-Gen Sir Alistair Irwin KCB CBE National President the Royal British Legion Scotland and PoppyScotland

The event organised by Legion Scotland, to remember those who have fallen in conflicts, involved more than 25 wreaths laid during the service which was full of music and silence in respectful remembrance.

The garden will now be open for the period of remembrance and there will be an Armistice Day Service there on Saturday 11 November 2017.

On Sunday 12 November the Remembrance Sunday event will be held at the Stone of Remembrance at the City Chambers.

Paul Wheelhouse MSP

Organisations such as the Scottish Government represented by Paul Wheelhouse MSP, The Royal Scots, The Scots Guards, Police Scotland and many others all attended.

Erin Ritchie, 17, from Port Seton and a sixth year pupil at Preston Lodge High School, was the piper at the event.  Erin, who started piping at the age of nine and has played at many prestigious events such as the 35thanniversary of the Falklands Conflict and the tenth anniversary of the end of operations in Northern Ireland, said: “It is an honour for me to play at such a poignant event as we remember those who gave their all so that we could grow up with the freedoms we so often take for granted.”

Following the opening of the Garden of Remembrance, guests then moved into Poppyscotland’s Field of Remembrance. A sea of memorials has been created from thousands of Remembrance symbols that have been returned to the charity from supporters across the globe.

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Legion Scotland National Chairman Charlie Brown said: “This was a wonderful occasion which was very well attended by representatives from all three Services. It was heart-warming to see so many people connected to the Armed Forces community in Scotland as well as a fantastic turnout from the public as well.”