SCORES of people paid homage to Lossiemouth's patron saint this week by following in his footsteps on an annual lantern walk.

Lossiemouth Heritage Association's third St Gerardine's feast day walk was held on the evening of Monday, November 8, after a year's abeyance due to the pandemic.

Irish monk Saint Gerardine lived as a hermit in a Lossiemouth cave in the 10th century.

Paul Hancock, of Lossiemouth Heritage Association, said: "The walk from the war memorial in Lossiemouth to St Gerardine’s Church is an annual event to celebrate St Gerardine who, according to legend, lit a flaming torch on the original cliffs – now quarried out – as a guiding light, to warn seafarers of hazardous rocks hidden offshore in the area, on their approach to Spynie Loch."

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The walkers, with lanterns aglow, followed a route from where the hermit's cave would have been, at the Station Car Park, to the church named after him, St Gerardine's High Church.

St Gerardine School pupils had made their own lanterns ahead of the procession.

The church minister, Reverend Geoff McKee, led the symbolic journey.

Paul added: "We estimated that well over 150 people attended the lantern walk, carried out on an unexpectedly fine, mild evening.

"It was encouraging to see such a great turnout – especially all the youngsters with their amazing variety of lanterns."

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