FIRST Minister Nicola Sturgeon has stressed the importance of making sure there is never another tragedy like the Great War.
Taking part in the Remembrance Sunday service in Edinburgh yesterday, she said she was privileged to lay a wreath on the Stone of Remembrance on behalf of the people of Scotland.
Her wreath was one of more than 100 laid outside the City Chambers at a memorial event also attended by Anne Blair, widow of the highest-ranking soldier killed by the IRA, and her daughter Alexandra Nevill.
Hundreds of people including senior military figures, serving forces members, veterans and cadets gathered on the Royal Mile to pay their respects. The two-minute silence was marked by a gun fired from Edinburgh Castle and followed by a National Service of Remembrance at St Giles’ Cathedral.
“This year, as we continue the Scottish Commemorations Programme to mark the centenary of the First World War, Remembrance Sunday is particularly poignant,” said Sturgeon.
“In Scotland, as in other nations, this day provides an important moment for people to stop and reflect on the losses suffered in conflicts past and present.
“And a century on from the appalling losses of the Great War, it remains as important as ever that we resolve to ensure such a tragedy can never be repeated.
“The Scottish Commemorations Programme marks the 100th anniversary of World War One, ensuring we remember the sacrifices made and reflect on what we can learn from the war that was meant to end all wars.”
As remembrance services took place across Scotland, Veterans Minister Keith Brown also issued a plea for a commitment to ensure further generations were spared the horrors of war.
Before laying a wreath at Puller Memorial Park at Bridge of Allan, he said: “We have a responsibility to learn from the lessons of the past, and Remembrance Sunday should be a solemn, dignified occasion when we commit ourselves to ensuring that our own and future generations are spared the horrors of war.
“A century on from the devastation of the First World War, which left barely a community or single family untouched by tragedy and loss, it remains as important as ever that we come together across Scotland to commemorate those lost in all conflicts, past and present.”
In Glasgow, Deputy First Minister John Swinney took part in a service at the Cenotaph in George Square led by Lord Provost Eva Bolander.
She said: “Remembrance Sunday is a day for reflection and gratitude for those who gave their lives in conflict to preserve our freedoms.
“Glasgow owes its military and veterans a great debt. We are proud to remember those who fell and to support our serving military.”
At Spean Bridge in the Highlands, veteran and active Commandos and their families gathered at the famous Commando Memorial to remember those who had died, while Lochaber Schools Pipe Band led the Remembrance parade at Fort William.
Services were held in cities, towns and villages all over the UK, although a ceremony in Kent was disrupted by an explosion just before a parade was due to begin. The parade in Folkestone was allowed to go ahead after it was established the cause was an underground electrical fault.
The Queen did not lay a wreath at the Cenotaph in London but watched from the Foreign Office balcony as the Last Post was sounded. Her son, Prince Charles, laid the royal wreath.
In Wales, a field of remembrance at Cardiff Castle featured more than 10,000 crosses, and a service was held at the Welsh National War Memorial.
Irish Taoiseach Leo Varadkar laid a green laurel wreath at the Cenotaph in Eniskillen in Northern Ireland, 30 years after an IRA bombing there killed 12 people. DUP leader Arlene Foster and Northern Ireland secretary James Brokenshire also laid wreaths.
Stuart Peach, chief of the UK defence staff, said: “We mark and remember more than a million British and Commonwealth soldiers who died in both world wars. So it is about remembering the sacrifice they made so that we can enjoy the freedom and liberty that we have today.”
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