Locals lined the streets of Grantown yesterday during a poignant ceremony to unveil a silhouette commemorating the day soldiers who fought in the Great War returned to the Highland town.
The Silent Soldier Silhouette has been placed on the wall of the Royal British Legion building in the village square, facing on to the war memorial across the street.
The organisers of the initiative said they wanted to ensure that the sacrifices made by the soldiers who returned – and those who didn’t – is remembered and for comrades who once fought shoulder to shoulder to be reunited.
The silhouette is the first of its kind across the Highlands and was specially commissioned by David Ogilvie Engineering of Kilmarnock.
Roger Grant, president of the Grantown branch of the Royal British Legion, said: “I am deeply touched. I am really glad the community has done this because, unfortunately, as time goes by, things like this get forgotten.
“But I am glad to see the local schools have done a lot of work relating to the first world war.
“I am totally impressed because it is not what I thought it would be.
“There were faces here today that I didn’t expect to see and the support was absolutely outstanding.”
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Piper Iain Rathbone from Kincraig led the procession as members of the legion and invited guests gathered to celebrate the official unveiling.
Funding for the project has come from a donation from relatives of the Grant family.
Local councillor Bill Lobban said: “It is a very poignant reminder of those who gave so much. These young men made unimaginable sacrifices and it is important that future generations remember what they did on our behalf.”
Ewan MacGregor, vice chairman of the Grantown and Vicinity Community Council, who unveiled the silhouette said: “It is a tremendous achievement for Grantown on Spey to be able to honour so many people in this way and it is something that will be there for people to walk past and pay tribute to in their own way.
“My uncle was the first man from Grantown killed in World War II, so my part today in unveiling the silhouette was made even more special to me.”
Linda Coe, chairwoman of Grantown and Vicinity Community Council, said: “I find it very emotional not least because I was myself involved in the reserves for 36 years and I have lost friends, so it makes it very difficult to keep the tears back.”
