MORE than 180 children marched through the streets of Kirkwall armed with Union flags to greet a cruise liner sailing round the UK to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee.
Primary pupils from Glaitness School were kitted out with Union flag bowler hats, Union flag party horns and Union flag lunch boxes as they walked alongside the Kirkwall City Pipe Band to greet day-trippers from Ambassador’s Ambience ship as they came ashore.
READ MORE: Edinburgh rally to offer a republican alternative to Jubilee Scotland
The 12-night expedition sees travellers taken on a tour around Britain’s coast, stopping off at London, Rosyth, Aberdeen, Holyhead among other locations, marking Elizabeth's 70th year on the throne.
Company Ship2Shore arranged a meet and greet service for the ship arriving in Orkney.
The children helped put up 70 Union flags around the pier for the event – one for each year of the Queen’s reign.
Ingrid Rendall, the head teacher at Glaitness School, said the event was “extra special” as it was the first whole-school trip since the pandemic started.
“We were all delighted to see so many folks lining the main street and down at the harbour,” she said.
READ MORE: Queen Elizabeth and her jubilee will not unite the nation – The REAL Scottish Politics
“It was great to see all the community members who were involved in handing Union Jacks on as we passed by the local businesses.
Rendall went on: “I feel honoured that we were part of this important event to mark the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee and hope many people, especially the children will remember it for a long time ahead.”
READ MORE: Queen's Jubilee: STV promotes Scottish events ... alongside imagery from DEVON
Meanwhile Lord-Lieutenant Elaine Grieve – the Queen’s representative in Orkney – said it had been an emotional experience seeing the children with their “wonderful flags”.
“The spectacle of all these bairns coming down the street fronted by two pipers, it’s the sort of thing that brings a lump to your throat,” she told BBC Radio Orkney.
“To see them all with their 70 wonderful flags was just so special and I’m so proud of those kids, they did so, so well.”
Why are you making commenting on The National only available to subscribers?
We know there are thousands of National readers who want to debate, argue and go back and forth in the comments section of our stories. We’ve got the most informed readers in Scotland, asking each other the big questions about the future of our country.
Unfortunately, though, these important debates are being spoiled by a vocal minority of trolls who aren’t really interested in the issues, try to derail the conversations, register under fake names, and post vile abuse.
So that’s why we’ve decided to make the ability to comment only available to our paying subscribers. That way, all the trolls who post abuse on our website will have to pay if they want to join the debate – and risk a permanent ban from the account that they subscribe with.
The conversation will go back to what it should be about – people who care passionately about the issues, but disagree constructively on what we should do about them. Let’s get that debate started!
Callum Baird, Editor of The National
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules hereLast Updated:
Report this comment Cancel