The final touches are being delivered to a sculpture which will take pride of place in Fochabers to honour the men who served in The Highlanders.
An unveiling event will take place on February 14 with members of the public invited to join former members of the regiment as the fixed memorial is unveiled.
It has been expertly brought together by sculptor Jason Sweeney and will depict a stag with a thistle and crown between its antlers.
Retired Major Maurice Gibson, who is chairman of The Highlanders Museum board, has been involved in the project for the past 18 months.
Maj Gibson said he is delighted with the design and hopes it will be well received.
He said: “As a way of marking that the Highlanders’ Seaforth, Gordons and Camerons existed for 12 years as an independent Scottish infantry regiment, my trustees and I decided to erect a suitable statue or sculpture to remember them by.
“Traditionally the River Spey was the boundary between the Gordons on the east and the Queens Own Highlanders on the West, so it is going there as it is the centre of the old recruiting area.
“The memorial is different – it’s not a piper, it’s not a man in number one dress. It is a badge that was iconic, in its own way unique and we do not see that sort of cat badge anymore.”
Brigadier Hughie Monro CBE DL, the first commanding officer and the last colonel of the regiment, will unveil the sculpture, who Maj Gibson described as the “right man to do it” owing to his passion for the regiment.
Maj Gibson said: “I am delighted he is in a position to do it.
“We did lose soldiers on training and operations and whilst their names are not displayed, the sculpture memorial is for all those who served in the regiment for those 12 years and it will stand in a focal point for The Highlanders.”
He added: “I would encourage anybody to come.
“We encourage people to be photographed with it and to pass the message on that there is this new sculpture out there.”
