Arran’s war heroes remembered

Arran paid tribute to and honoured its war dead from both World Wars in a series of moving services held across the island at village cenotaphs on Remembrance Sunday.

The events were particularly poignant this year, given that they also marked the centenary of the end of the First World War.

Large turnout

In Brodick, representatives of Police Scotland, RNLI, Coastguard, Royal Navy, North Ayrshire Council, Army Cadets and members of the public attended a Remembrance service at 10am – owing to the infeasibility of shutting the road at 11am when the ferry departs – but this did not prevent an equally large turnout returning at 11am to mark the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month when the war ended in 1918.

Services were also held in Whiting Bay, Corrie, Shiskine and Pirnmill and Kilmory, in mixed weather conditions.

Memory

Arran also joined in the commemoration of the loss of more than 2,000 pipers who were killed or injured in battle with members of the Arran Pipe Band simultaneously playing ‘When the Battle’s O’er’ at 11am in their memory at each of the centotaphs and at the Clearance Memorial in Lamlash.

Involving the youngest members of the community, Arran Churches Together invited children from all of the villages on Arran to experience a unique and unusual activity, ringing the church bells from 7.05pm to 7.15pm, when churches and cathedrals across the nation and beyond, rang their bells to commemorate those that made the ultimate sacrifice and those who faced great hardships because of war.

A lone piper plays the lament at Brodick in honour of the thousands of pipers who perished or were injured during the war. 01_B46remembrance03

Representatives of various service organisations and group representatives prepare to lay wreaths at the Brodick Memorial. 01_B46remembrance04

A large crowd huddle under their umbrellas at the Whiting Bay service. 01_B46remembrance08

Jean Hunter leads the remembrance service at Shiskine war memorial assisted by the Rev Benjamin van Rensburg. 01_B46remembrance09

Nearly 80 people gathered to pay their respects at Brodick cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday. 01_B46remembrance02

Look mum, I’m ringing the bell – Grace Popplewell rings the church bells to her obvious delight. 01_B46remembrance06