Aberdeen set to honour Armed Forces past and present
26 June 2018
The City of Aberdeen will welcome more than 1,000 serving, veteran and cadet force personnel when they parade through the city centre to mark Armed Forces Day on Saturday 30 June. Crowds are expected to line the length of Union Street to show their appreciation of the work of the Armed Forces.
A large crowd is expected to watch the march, which will include massed pipes and drums and vintage WWII military vehicles, as it gets under way at 11am at Albyn Place and then heads down Union Street to the Castlegate.
Local group the 2nd Hilton Rainbows will give out 2000 free hand-held flags for the public to wave. One side of the flag was designed by 1st prize competition winner Maya Maclean, P7 Gilcomstoun Primary (age 11).
Prizes were also awarded to Matthew Marr also from Gilcomstoun School and Shanice Song How Ying from Skene Square School. All prize winners received a family pass the Gordon Highlanders Museum and Hobbycraft vouchers.
As the parade passes the Town House, the Lord Provost of Aberdeen Barney Crockett, in his role of Lord-Lieutenant, will take the salute along with top military personnel.
The Lord-Lieutenant Barney Crockett said: “Aberdeen always embraces this opportunity to say thank you to personnel for their service to the country by turning out in large numbers to watch the parade. It’s heart-warming to see spectators’ young and old pay tribute to the British Armed Forces community for their hard work, dedication and efforts to and keep us safe in the UK and across the globe. The pipe bands, marching personnel and military vehicles fill the length of Union Street creating quite a moving spectacle.”
The parade will be led by a pipe band formed from members of the Aberdeen University Officer Training Corp, Huntly, Lonach, Ballater and District, Kintore and the Gordon Highlanders Association pipe bands.
The following traffic restrictions will be in place to allow the parade to pass safely:
Friday 29 June
No Parking from 6pm on 29 June until 12noon on 30 June on:
The north side of Albyn Place between its junctions with Albyn Grove and Rubislaw Place. Parade vehicles will be exempt.
Saturday 30 June
Roads closed from 9am to 11.30am:
Albyn Place between its junctions with Albyn Grove and Victoria Street
Alford Place, Aberdeen, between its junctions with Victoria Street and Union Street
Roads closed from 10.45am to 12.30pm:
Union Street between its junctions with Holburn Street and Castle Street Back Wynd between its junctions with Schoolhill and Union Street Castle Street between its junctions with Union Street and King Street King Street between its junctions with Castle Street and West North Street Chapel Street between its junctions with Union Street and Thistle StreetNo right turns from 10.45 to 12.30pm:
From King Street on to West North Street
From Rosemount Viaduct on to Skene Street
From Holburn Street on to Willowbank Road
No left turns from 10.45am to 12.30pm there will be prohibitions of left turns
The one-way restriction will be suspended from 10.45am to 12.30pm:
On Exchequer Row and Shiprow.
No waiting from 10am to 1pm with the exception of any waiting taxi, on the West side of Chapel Street, Aberdeen, north of the junction with Thistle Street for 53 metres or thereby. Also on either side of the pocket park area of Schoolhill, Aberdeen, including disabled bays. These are to provide a temporary taxi rank for this period.
Later opening time for car park:
Due to the road closures nearby, the Marischal College car park which is accessed from Queen Street, will open later than usual at 1pm. All other city centre car parks will be open as normal.