North Rising - Sun shines on Avoch marchers

News Release: Immediate Use

The importance of Avoch in Scotland's long fight to be a free country was celebrated last Saturday [17th May] by a hundred marchers from all a' the airts.

In brilliant Avoch sunshine the procession and flag raising ceremony at Ormond Hill was attended by marchers from Aberdeen, Airdrie, Perth, Moray, Cowal, Inverness, Brussels and all over Ross-shire. Organised by the Andrew de Moray Project, the annual celebration which was started by the people of Avoch in the 1930s continues to inspire patriots and those alerted to the often hidden history of Scotland's turbulent past.

Following the tradition of the past ten years members of the Society of Willam Wallace present a new saltire flag to replace the one that flew for the previous year from the flagpole at the cairn in the castle ruins on Ormond Hill. This year John Robertson, the Culblean organiser of the Andrew de Moray Project, did the honours. John and his wife Lorraine have just retired to Nairn.

The gathering of around a hundred celebrants heard from Duncan Fenton of the Wallace Society who urged Scots to tread the byways of our land and visit the many relics of our complex and exciting past.

Rob Gibson Highlands and Islands MSP and Project Convener reminded the gathering that Evan Macleod Barron had dug up the story of how important the North of Scotland's part was in the national rising of 1297. Mr Gibson pointed to the alliances that Scotland had with France and Norway which helped sustain our nation.

He said,

"Scotland was a European nation then and is today as we regain our pride of place in the family of people whose distinctive place is their bedrock. It is the cause for which Andrew de Moray and William Wallace fought and died."

Later that day the Andrew de Moray Project AGM reported a healthy upturn in members and balanced books with a small surplus. Saturday 29th November 2008 was picked for the Culblean event and Saturday 16th May 2009 for Ormond Hill. Thereafter the celebrations drew continued into the evening with ceilidh band Champin' At The Bit in the Station Hotel, Avoch.

ENDS