Edinburgh Armed Forces Day
Edinburgh, as host city for Armed Forces Day in 2011, holds a three-day programme to salute the Armed Forces.
After hoisting the flag (see above) on Monday 20th June above Edinburgh City Chambers, events kick off, in Leith Docks, on the afternoon of Friday 24 June, with tours of HMS Portland, a Royal Navy Type 23 Frigate, and various water-based displays, culminating with a full display by the Red Arrows over the Firth of Forth (some of the best views will be from Calton Hill, The Braids, Corstorphine Hill, Arthur's Seat, Cramond and the Promenade). There will also be the opportunity to watch a Royal Marine Commando display, a Royal Navy Field Gun Display, and displays by the Cadets.
On Armed Forces Day itself (Saturday) a parade of up 2,500 serving personnel, veterans, motorcyclists, and cadets will march past Their Royal Highnesses the Duke and Duchess of Rothesay down the Royal Mile from the Castle Esplanade to Holyrood Park. A search and rescue helicopter will fly ahead of the parade.
The parade will end with a short ceremony of thanks "a Drumhead Ceremony" and this will be followed by an afternoon of events and entertainment for all the family.
As well as an appearance by the Red Arrows display team, flying over Edinburgh Castle toward Leith, the day also includes flypasts over Holyrood Park by military aircraft, including a Lancaster bomber, a Spitfire, and a Hurricane as part of the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight.
The Holyrood Park arena will have a variety of military and non-military entertainment including Highland dancing, music, a Veterans' Village, and vintage vehicles, which will be transporting some veterans to the arena.
The day's celebrations will end with a Beating Retreat, a long-standing military tradition which now marks the end of a ceremonial occasion.
It is anticipated that up to 80,000 people will come to the city to take part and show their support for the Armed Forces.
In colloboration with the Edinburgh Film Festival, there's a screening of Afghanistan set documentary To Hell and Back Again.
On Sunday, events include a massed Military Fitness Session at Holyrood Park aimed at young families and teenagers and a parade from Edinburgh Castle/Johnstone Terrace by DecAid Massed Pipes and Drums to the Holyrood Arena/Stage for another day's programme of entertainment including Highland Dancers and Battle of the Bands, Armed Forces Day Bar, RBLS 90th Anniversary Bar, Veteran's Tents, Flight Simulators, Portable climbing wall/inflatable assault course, food, bouncy castle, crazy golf, sumo, bucking bronco, veteran's associations, and recruiting displays.
All members of the public, ex-military and veterans are welcome to attend.
A War Stories Trail and related iPhone applications are in development, along with the digitisation of the personal collection of Field Marshal Earl Haig, which comprises objects and photographs and is held by the Museum of Edinburgh.
