A stag tribute will be erected on Speyside next year to pay tribute to north-east soldiers who served in a military regiment.
Troops from across the Highlands, Moray and Aberdeenshire formed the 1st and 3rd Battalions The Highlanders for 12 years until 2006 when it was amalgamated as part of the Royal Regiment of Scotland.
Now a memorial based on the animal emblem carried on the caps of the regiments will be erected near Fochabers outside Baxters.
A ceremony to unveil the tribute, which has been designed by Jason Sweeney and will be made from stainless steel, will be held on February 14 next year with all ranks and partners who were part of the divisions between 1994 and 2006 invited to take part.
Maurice Gibson, regimental secretary of The Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordon and Cameron), said: “These regiments recruited from the Highlands, Nairnshire, Moray, Banffshire and Aberdeenshire originally and it was felt that a spot on the west bank of the River Spey was the centre of the recruiting area.
“Back in September 1994 the two battalions met on the Craigellachie Bridge days before they became The Highlanders (Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons).”
The stag and crown will be set on a sandstone pillar and will be built by Buckie-based At Home Construction.
