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A commemoration to mark the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh at Musselburgh was cut short on Saturday, following the death of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II last Thursday.
But the event still went ahead on September 10, the 475th anniversary of the battle, which was fought in 1547, as organisers were unable to contact those members of the public who would be attending the ceremony and preceding walk along the battlefield trail.
Fought in the Musselburgh area, the Battle of Pinkie Cleugh was the last pitched battle between Scotland and England.
The opposing armies were led by the Earl of Arran, Regent of Scotland, and the Lord Protector of England, the Duke of Somerset, whose aim was to secure the betrothal of nine-year-old King Edward VI of England to five-year-old Mary, Queen of Scots.
The outcome was a disastrous defeat for the Scots, with 10,000 troops massacred in the rout, which became known as ‘Black Saturday’.
But the immediate effect of this defeat was to revive the ‘Auld Alliance’ between Scotland and France – and to bring about the betrothal of Mary to the Dauphin of France.
Saturday’s ceremony was preceded by a walk along the battlefield trail, led by Roger Knox and Dr Andrew Coulson, of the Pinkie Cleugh Battlefield and Tapestry Group, from the Roman Bridge in Musselburgh.
The final part of the walk, to the Pinkie Cleugh Memorial Stone at Crookston, near Wallyford, was led by piper Colin Pryde.
The commemoration at the memorial stone, off Salters Road, took place in front of more than 45 spectators.
Ivor Highley, president of the Old Musselburgh Club, which organises the event, thanked everyone for attending and, as a mark of respect to the Queen and royal family, a shorter version of the ceremony was held.
Archaeologist Dr David Caldwell, who has researched and collated the names of those slain at the battle, laid flowers at the memorial stone, followed by Councillor John McMillan, Provost of East Lothian; Arran Johnston, chairman of the Scottish Battlefields Trust; and Martin Morrison, of the Royal Oak Society of Scotland.
Mr Knox placed five pieces of embroidery set in a glass picture frame at the memorial stone. They related to a tapestry currently being created to mark the battle.
Mr McMillan addressed those present and Mr Pryde recalled meeting the Queen.
The Old Musselburgh Club thanked those involved with the annual ceremony, including photographer Angus Bathgate; George Wilson for repairing the memorial stone site; Robert Reid minibuses for transporting the flag pole; Gary Hicks and Kevan Neil for cutting the grass around the memorial stone; and East Lothian Council amenities manager Andrew Hogarth for ensuring the wildflower bed in front of the memorial stone was maintained.
