Nation to pay tribute to wartime heroes on 80th anniversary of VE Day
Scotland is set to pay tribute to its wartime heroes with events taking place around the country to mark the 80th anniversary of VE Day.
A service of thanksgiving will take place at Glasgow Cathedral at 1pm, with guests including representatives from the military, veterans' organisations, emergency services and religious groups.
Members of the Royal British Legion, the Royal Air Forces Association (RAFA), and the Soldiers', Sailors' and Airmen's Families Association (SSAFA) will be taking part in the service, along with their families.
A number of elected officials are also set to be in attendance, including Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes and Scotland Office minister Kirsty McNeill.
Speaking ahead of the service Ms McNeill said: 'It's a huge privilege to attend the VE Day Commemoration in Glasgow to honour all the men and women in Scotland who served during the Second World War, and also to recognise the great sacrifice of the people of Glasgow during the Clydebank Blitz in March 1941.
'We owe our lives to those who served, and what will be a moving ceremony in Glasgow Cathedral is a fitting reminder of that.'
Lord Provost of Glasgow Jacqueline McLaren said: 'Thursday's service in Glasgow Cathedral is a time for us to come together to remember and reflect on the sacrifices made, courage displayed and the resilience of those who put their lives on the line to keep us safe and help build a better world.
'It's also a day to rejoice in peace and freedom, sometimes things that we take for granted. I hope as many people as possible can come along to join us in tribute and celebration.'
Reverend Mark Johnstone, minister at Glasgow Cathedral, added: 'We look forward to welcoming people from all walks of life, people of faith and none, as we reflect, give thanks and pray for a better tomorrow.
'Although there are increasingly few veterans still alive, the world we live in today was shaped by the outcome of the Second World War.'
Meanwhile, Scottish Secretary Ian Murray is set to visit Lady Haig's Poppy Factory in Edinburgh, where he will meet 99-year-old VE Day veterans Margaret Landels and George McLeod, as well as a number of other military veterans.
The factory has been producing poppies in Scotland since 1926, and its team of ex-service men and women produce millions of poppies and tens of thousands of wreaths, remembrance symbols and long-stem poppies each year.
Speaking ahead of the visit, Mr Murray said: 'VE Day is a moment for us all to give thanks to the wartime generation. We thank all those who served at home and abroad, who gave so much to ensure the freedoms we enjoy today.
'Of course, the war was not over until VJ Day, but VE Day marked a crucial turning point in the war and in our history, and it is right that we continue to mark it 80 years on.'
The anniversary is also being marked in Scottish Government buildings, where a two-minute silence will be observed at midday.
The Scottish Government's Victoria Quay and St Andrew's House buildings in Edinburgh will also continue to be lit up in red as part of a campaign to light significant buildings across the UK.
Edinburgh Castle was among the buildings to be lit up in red on Tuesday in the run-up to the anniversary.
Memorial events are also set to continue in Lerwick aboard vessels that arrived there from Norway on Tuesday, in commemoration of the Shetland Bus that operated between Scotland and Norway during the war.
The events mark 80 years to the day since the formal acceptance by the Allies of Nazi Germany's unconditional surrender on May 8 1945, bringing the Second World War in Europe to an end after more than five years of bitter fighting.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
The Independent
a day ago
- The Independent
Body found in search for experienced walker on Isle of Skye
A body has been found in the search for a missing walker who vanished on the Isle of Skye. Roddy MacPherson, 67, was reported missing on Wednesday and his family have been informed. He was last seen on Monday outside Sligachan Hotel, walking in the direction of the Sligachan Bridge, and has not been heard from since. Mr MacPherson was described as an 'experienced walker' in an appeal by Police Scotland. On Friday afternoon, the body of a man was traced by police and local mountain rescue teams on Cuillins. There would appear to be no suspicious circumstances surrounding the death and a report will be submitted to the procurator fiscal. Formal identification has yet to be made. A spokesperson for Skye mountain rescue team (MRT) said: 'Extensive searches were carried out, mainly focusing on the Red Hills and parts of the Northern Cuillin. On Thursday, thanks to helpful information from a local guide, efforts shifted to the area around Bruach na Frithe. 'Around midday on Friday, with improved weather and cloudless tops, a body was sighted on a grassy ledge high on the cliffs between Harta and Lota Corries. It was immediately clear that lowering the casualty to safety would be long and technically demanding. 'A team member was lowered to a position above and confirmed there were no signs of life, and that significantly more equipment would be needed. Fortunately, Stornoway Coastguard helicopter R948 was able to return and carry out a direct lift from the ledge — an incredible effort and a huge relief. 'The helicopter later returned multiple times to help extract the teams and equipment back to Sligachan. 'Skye MRT contributed over 350 hours to this search — not including the time and effort given by Police Scotland (N division), Royal Air Force mountain rescue service, Kintail mountain rescue, Glenelg mountain rescue, Search and Rescue Dog Association Scotland, local Coastguard teams including HM Coastguard – Portree, Isle of Skye, and helicopter crews of R948 and R951. 'Our sincere thanks to all involved. Thanks also to the Sligachan Hotel for feeding and supporting us on Wednesday night and Thursday. 'Skye MRT extends our deepest condolences to the family and friends of Roderick MacPherson at this very difficult time. While formal identification has yet to be made, we understand this will come as deeply sad news to those that knew him.'
BBC News
3 days ago
- BBC News
Solway coastline secures major restoration boost
The Solway coastline in south west Scotland has secured a major funding boost to help with its conservation, restoration and is the first project to secure support through the National Lottery Heritage Fund's (NLHF) £150m Landscape Connections Solway Coast and Marine Landscape Connections Project - Scamp for short - will receive £1.4m to shape plans which will help unlock a further £ will work with the local community to deliver an extensive programme of habitat restoration right along the Dumfries and Galloway coast. The project is the first of about 20 across the UK which will benefit from the funding aimed at boosting nature recovery, helping rural economies and attracting more chief executive Eilish McGuinness said it was the "perfect project" to get things started."The Solway Firth's rich natural heritage has supported communities along its length since the earliest settlement," she said."The heritage of millennia of human habitation are reflected in the landscape and history of the people, places and communities."This will be enhanced with National Lottery player support to deliver large-scale, long-term, meaningful change for the environment and its people, furthering our vision for heritage to be valued, cared for, and sustained for everyone, now and in the future." Dumfries and Galloway Council is leading the Scamp initiative alongside a long list of local Gail MacGregor said: "With a potential total investment of almost £8m from the heritage fund this commitment demonstrates the huge potential of our Solway Coast to become a leading light in coastal and marine nature restoration, playing its part in helping with the nature and climate crisis."By allowing our coastal and marine environment to thrive we will be bringing opportunities for learning, green jobs, wellbeing and nature-related economic development to our communities." Karen Morley, Scamp programme manager, said it welcomed the funding."It is rare for a nature restoration project to attract this level of investment over a prolonged period of time," she said."But it is also essential for this ambitious innovative programme of work to be delivered by ourselves and our partners and ensure we can make a real restorative impact on our Solway land and seascape." The Scamp scheme will be delivered over 10 years including a two-year development key habitats will be prioritised - seagrass meadows, native oyster reefs, saltmarsh, coastal woodland and sand dunes. It will also see 120 miles (195km) of new coastal trail created with 10 coastal "gateway" sites along the coast and trails will allow people to learn more about the Solway Firth and the surrounding area.
Telegraph
3 days ago
- Telegraph
Reform has landed in Scotland
Yet again a Scottish by-election has kicked the political establishment in the shins. Yes, in Scotland, after 18 years in power, the SNP is currently the political establishment and its defeat at the hands of Labour with a 602 vote majority – and Reform UK close behind in third place by just 869 – votes demonstrates the disruptors are making an impact. Labour's unexpected and narrow victory makes it clear the SNP is likely to struggle to form a Government when the full Holyrood election is held next May. That election will be held under a proportional voting system which, were Reform UK to poll anything like the 26.1 per cent achieved in Hamilton by its candidate Ross Lambie, could give the party a healthy group of MSPs in the mid-twenties and possibly make them king-makers. For the Conservatives, the evening was bad but not quite as embarrassing as they privately feared. Polling only 1621 votes, Tory sighs of relief were audible from Gretna to John O'Groats once they realised their vote share was 6 per cent, saving a lost deposit had it fallen to below 5 per cent. Still, it remains impossible to say if the Conservatives have yet bottomed out. Tory candidates face being squeezed across Scotland from all ends by the other pro-UK parties so long as regaining trust with voters remains the Conservatives' biggest challenge. Despite the best efforts of Scottish Conservative leader Russell Findlay providing more focussed stewardship, the Conservatives still risk falling below their worst ever Holyrood vote in 2011 when Annabel Goldie's campaign achieved only 12.4 per cent. The SNP leadership will need to look hard at their strategy of building up Reform as a 'far right' bogeyman and talking-up the prospect of a two-horse race between the SNP and Reform. The First Minster, John Swinney, had suggested the only way to stop Reform was for Labour voters to get behind the SNP; he begged them from the pages of a Labour-supporting tabloid to come over to the nationalists. Instead of reducing Labour's support by this tactical ploy, he received a stinging political slap in the face as his pleas only served to give Reform credibility as a serious challenger while Labour activists flooded the constituency on the last day to get their vote out. What is also clear from the by-election is that making out Nigel Farage as a vote loser in Scotland does not hold water. The same used to be said about Margaret Thatcher and Boris Johnson, but the truth is there has always been a Scottish market for big personalities that parties of the Left have sought to demonise. Photos of the Clacton MP were all over the Reform UK's publicity materials, and he was regularly promoted via social media – and did the unthinkable of visiting the constituency during the campaign. Yes, he's a marmite figure, but he's been a marmite figure for much of his political life in most of England too, and now has the best ratings of all the party leaders. After the initial realisation during polling day that they simply did not have the shoe leather on the ground to push for second place, Reform UK's supporters quickly realised they had actually achieved an amazing result. Their candidate, Ross Lambie, had polled 7,088 – which next to Labour's 8,599 and the SNP's 7,957 resulted in a highly creditable three-way fight. Coming from only 7.8 per cent in the Hamilton and Clyde Valley Westminster constituency boundary at last year's general election to achieve 26.1 per cent this time round is a very strong showing. Reform UK has landed in Scotland.
