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More than 8,000 people from all parts of Scotland will come together on August 10 to commemorate the outbreak of the First World War with a drumhead service at Edinburgh Castle, it was announced today.

The multi-faith service on the castle esplanade will replicate those held on the front line 100 years ago where neatly piled drums were used in place of an altar. Members of the public from every local authority area in Scotland will be invited to form the congregation along with representatives of the military, veterans groups, charities and civic leaders.

Following the service, military bands will parade down the Royal Mile and the congregation will be invited to follow in a procession to Holyrood Park, where they will find a replica Commonwealth war graves cemetery. There will be more than a hundred headstones to represent the names recorded in the Rolls of Honour at the Scottish National War Memorial. Those gathered in the park will be invited to lay wreaths or markers to reflect the sacrifice made by so many.

The event will mark the start of the Scottish commemorations programme which will remember eight events from World War One that had a significant impact on Scotland. They include the start and end of the war, major battles including Jutland and Gallipoli and domestic incidents such as the Quintinshill rail disaster and the loss of HMY Iolaire.

The drumhead service and procession will follow events happening in Glasgow as part of the UK commemorations programme on August 4 - the 100th anniversary of the date Britain entered the war. A Commonwealth-themed service at Glasgow Cathedral and a Cenotaph service will be held in the city on that date.

During a visit to the Scottish National War Memorial at Edinburgh Castle today, the Cabinet Secretary for Culture and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop, said:

“The First World War claimed the lives of more than 100,000 Scots and left many more injured or disabled, forcing families and communities across the country to come to terms with the devastating consequences.

“Throughout the centenary period we will encourage people of all ages across Scotland to recognise the significant and broad impact the First World War had on our nation and its people, and to reflect on its lasting social and civic legacy.

“The drumhead service, procession and memorial on August 10 will encourage today’s Scots to commemorate those who lost their lives and to ask what we can learn from World War One.”

The Secretary of State for Scotland Alistair Carmichael said:

“You will not find a community in Scotland that wasn’t fundamentally altered by the First World War. Millions of lives across the world were lost, thousands of Scots returned home injured or disabled and individuals and families across the country had to come to terms with a world that would never be the same.

“A hundred years on it is absolutely right that we put remembrance at the heart of this commemoration. The drumhead service forms an important part of a programme of events that will take place across the whole of Scotland and the rest of the UK. They will provide a chance to pause for reflection, an opportunity for people to learn more about the war and help ensure our country never forgets those who made the ultimate sacrifice.”

Chair of the Scottish Commemorations Panel, Norman Drummond, said:

“It is important that Scotland remembers the sacrifice of those who served during the First World War and the wider impact that the war had on Scotland and Scots around the world – and the key objective of the Scottish Commemorations Panel has been to raise awareness in asking the question “what do we learn from all this?”.

“The Scottish commemorations programme will provide opportunities for people of all ages to learn about the war in meaningful ways, and enable them to explore the resonance of the First World War and its aftermath to contemporary life in Scotland and beyond.

“The August 10 event will bring communities together to reflect the mood of the country as we went to war. The drumhead service will replicate ceremonies held in the battlefield, while the procession will reflect the mix of enthusiasm and apprehension felt by those who enlisted or waved their loved ones off to battle. The event will close with some time for quiet reflection and remembrance at Holyrood Park.”

The Rt Hon Lord Provost of Edinburgh, Donald Wilson, said:

“Edinburgh already has a strong and proud tradition of recognising our military service personnel and as Lord Provost and Veterans Champion, I am determined that as a capital city we should continue to show our support and gratitude for the enormous sacrifices made by courageous men and women in service of this country. The drumhead service will be a very fitting start for the Scottish programme for remembering WW1.”

Notes To Editors

The Scottish Commemorations Panel was appointed by Scottish Ministers in 2013 to recommend a preferred approach for Scotland’s commemorations of the centenary of the First World War, and to oversee the delivery of the programme. The panel reports to Scottish Ministers.

The Scottish Commemorations Panel is chaired by Reverend Norman Drummond, a distinguished former army chaplain, and includes a mix of professionals from the military and veterans’ communities, community leaders, clergy, media, historians and education specialists.

For more information about the Scottish Commemorations Panel, a breakdown of the observance dates to be commemorated and an archive of announcements relating to Scotland’s plans to remember the First World War – including support for the restoration of war memorials and school battlefield visits - see: http://www.scotland.gov.uk/About/Review/WW1-Commemoration-Panel

For more information about the UK commemorations programme led by the Department for Culture, Media and Sport, including detail of the events to be in Glasgow, London and Mons, Belgium on August 4, see:

https://www.gov.uk/government/topical-events/first-world-war-centenary

The Scottish Commemorations Panel is working with the Scottish Government, Scotland Office, Ministry of Defence, Historic Scotland, Edinburgh Council and the Royal Edinburgh Military Tattoo to deliver the drumhead service, parade and memorial event.

An audio clip of Fiona Hyslop talking about the announcement is available from

http://audioboo.fm/channel/scottishgovernment

Contact
Lisa Gillibrand: 0131 244 3177 / 07867 390283