The Rt Hon Lord Provost Robert Aldridge welcomed the First Minister, Humza Yousaf, to the City Chambers where a ceremony, organised by The Royal British Legion Scotland, was held on Sunday.
A parade led by the RAF Central Scotland Pipes and Drums marched from Edinburgh Castle to the Royal Mile along with the Band of The Royal Regiment of Scotland, veterans and other representatives from the three Armed Services, both young and old.
The First Minister said: “This to me is one of the most sacred days of the year. It’s an opportunity for all of us all communities to come together to reflect, to remember, and to honour all of those who paid the ultimate sacrifice so that we can enjoy the freedoms that we cherish every single day and I’m proud to be able – and honoured to be able – to take part on behalf of The Scottish Government.”
The One O’Clock Gun was fired at 11am to mark the beginning of a two minute silence in memory of those who have fallen, after which a bugler played the last post followed by Reverend Sigrid Marten Associate Minister at St Giles’ recited Binyon’s Lines:
They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them
Rev Marten led a short service and wreaths were laid at the Stone of Remembrance by the Rt Hon Lord Provost, the First Minister, the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, and Baroness Annabel Goldie DL, Chiefs of all three Armed Services (Brigadier Muddiman RM, NRCSNI, Major General Robin Lindsay CBE General Officer Scotland, Air Vice-Marshal Ross Paterson CBE OBE ADC DL, Air Officer Scotland, and veterans associations.
The official party and the assembled audience then sang the hymn O God our help in ages past, the bugler sounded The Rouse and after the laying of all wreaths, The National Anthem was sung.
Two Ukrainian siblings, Marichka (16) and Sviatoslav (9) attended the ceremony to lay a wreath on behalf of the children of Ukraine and to remember their own father who died this year. They were accompanied by their mother Lesya whose husband Koli, a Ukrainian soldier, was killed earlier this year. Hannah Beaton-Hawryluk the Chair of the Association of Ukrainians in GB Edinburgh who laid a wreath on behalf of the organisation spoke of their loss. She said: “We have to remember. War is all over the world, all of the time. Our forefathers fought for our freedoms – we cannot forget that. If we fail to remember the mistakes of the past, we will never, ever learn.
“Lesya’s family are one of thousands that have experienced terminal heartbreak in the last 20 months. The loss of her beloved husband, and father to her children, Koli, brutally outlines why to fail to learn from historic mistakes creates nothing other than an unstable world full of horror, destruction and immense sadness.
“I know how proud Lesya is of Marichka and Sviastoslav, who today laid a wreath on behalf of all children of Ukraine who have lost a parent to this war.”
The CEO of Legion Scotland, Dr Claire Armstrong, said: “From the First World War to the most recent of conflicts, we must always remember those who Served. Many people have made the ultimate sacrifice in order to sustain our current way of life. Many more have made unthinkable sacrifices to maintain our freedoms. To them, and for them, we must say “thank you”, and we must remember them.
“United, today is a chance to do that. We wish, and we must, recognise the value of our Armed Forces community, and we must sustain the lessons of history.
“As we recognise the extraordinary sacrifices of our Armed Forces community, it is also a chance to express our hopes for a peaceful future.
“Lest we forget such sacrifice, and lest we hope for peace and prosperity on behalf of those that Serve.”
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
