Communities across Sutherland mark Remembrance Sunday with scaled-back commemorations due to pandemic
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Parades, events and services to mark Remembrance Sunday were discouraged because of the coronavirus pandemic.
But communities across Sutherland adapted tradition to ensure the special day did not pass without being marked.
At Rosehall, Vice Lord-Lieutenant Lt Colonel Colin Gilmour laid a wreath on behalf on the Sutherland Lieutenancy and Anne Gould, whose father had served in the Royal Air Force during World War II, laid a wreath on behalf of the British Legion Individual crosses were laid at other times by other residents of the parish.
The Remembrance service was held in the Church of Scotland when the congregation were pleased to welcome back for the day Mrs Dorothy and Dr Victor Bruce who played the organ.
Although the words of the hymns could not be sung, those present enjoyed hear him playing them as well as The Last Post and Reveille.
Lily Byron read the names of the fallen from the parish while Isabela Catanzaro read Binyon’s words. Ellen Rose Frost responded with the Kohima epitaph and Richard Peirse-Duncombe read from St John’s Gospel. Colin Gilmour gave a children’s address on comradeship while Richard Peirse-Duncombe addressed remembrance and hope. Anne Gould read John McCrae’s “In Flanders fields”. A collection for the work of the Earl Haig Fund through PoppyScotland raised £83.
In Lochinver there was no service of remembrance but five wreathes were laid at Assynt War Memorial in 15 minute intervals. Deputy Lord Lieutenant David Grant MBE laid a wreath on behalf of the Lord Lieutenant and Her Majesty the Queen; Dr John Morgan on behalf of the Assynt Branch of Legion; David MacAskill on behalf of the Lochinver RNLI; Jorine Van Delf on behalf of Lochinver Fire Service and Andrew McClelland on behalf of the Church of Scotland.
Newly apponted Deputy Lord Lieutenant Christine Mackay undertook her first official duties by laying wreaths at the Creich and Kincardine War Memorials in Ardgay and Bonar Bridge. Together with Legion Scotland Creich and Kincardine Branch Secretary Fiona Porter, wreaths were laid on behalf of the Lord Lieutenant, Royal British Legion Scotland, Ardgay and District and Creich Community Councils, the Scottish Fire Service, the Rotary Club and Girlguides.
At both, Fiona recited the Exhortation and Kohima Epitaph and Christine said a prayer. The wreath laying at Bonar Bridge was timed to coincide with the bell ringing at Creich and Kincardine Churches to mark the start and end of the two minute silence. A church service followed at Creich Church.
Fiona said “It was a great shame that because of the Covid restrictions we had to really scale back the remembrance commemorations this year and could not gather at the war memorials as we normally would. But I was honoured to be able to lay the usual community wreaths with Christine. Along with the community marking the silence on their doorsteps and local children placing painted poppy stones on the war memorials beforehand, we have been able to ensure the fallen were still remembered.”
