PICTURES: King's Baton visits Lossiemouth for Boys Brigade 140th anniversary celebration
LOSSIEMOUTH hosted the King's Baton as part of the Boys' Brigade's 140th anniversary celebrations.
The baton is making its way from Stonehaven right up to Orkney and Shetland, spending roughly a week with all 50 north companies, to mark 140 years since the formation of the Boys Brigade.
It arrived in Lossie by boat from Buckie on Sunday, February 4, where it was greeted by large cheering crowds. It was handed over to Burghead on February 11.
In its week at Lossiemouth, the baton made its way into a Typhoon cockpit at RAF Lossiemouth and to ex Prime Minister Ramsay MacDonald's old house.
James Allan, who runs 4th Lossiemouth Company Boys Brigade and is the North Scottish president, was delighted with the success of the week.
"It was really good and there was something going on all the time," he said. "People have been saying 'oh the Boys Brigade is still on the go' – so it was good to let people know we are still here.
"We are like a big family in the north of Scotland and we wanted to do something special for the 140th anniversary and it's been special everywhere it has been."
The baton was taken by Banffshire's Lord-Lieutenant Andrew Simpson on an RNLI boat to Lossiemouth, where he handed it to Moray's Lord-Lieutenant Seymour Monro.
A large crowd –including Moray's MP Douglas Ross – gathered at the pier for speeches from both, as well as James Allan.
The baton then went to RAF Lossiemouth, where it remained for three days, going round former Boys Brigade members and visiting a Typhoon cockpit.
It then went to Ramsay MacDonald's house to mark 100 years since the Lossiemouth native was Prime Minister, before a trip up Covesea Lighthouse.
Hythehill Primary School, Moray Council's chambers and Police Scotland all had a visit – before a relay in the square in Lossie on Saturday morning.
An evening meal for 110 members of the brigade past and present topped off a fine week, with Boys' Brigade president Dez Johnston, originally from Rothes, coming in via videolink to congratulate the company.
To end the week, the baton was cycled to Duffus Castle by BB members, where James Allan – who is also a councillor for Heldon and Laich – gave a speech.
He added: "Everybody has done special things with the baton and we have a lot left because it's Burghead and Forres next."
After visiting the 50 north companies, the baton will find peace in a the Boys Brigade museum in Thurso, where BB founder Sir William Alexander Smith is from.
