Councillor Graeme Bruce (1981) joined the current School Pipe Band at the Edinburgh Riding of the Marches last month and shared this photo with us.  

'The roots of the Edinburgh Riding of the Marches date back to the 16th century when Edinburgh had to work hard to protect its common land from attack by raiders. The ancient custom of inspecting the ‘burgh marches’ or ‘boundaries’ became a regular occurrence. Historical records from 1584 show that the ‘nichtbouris’ of Edinburgh were instructed to meet at the Lord Provost’s house and be ready to inspect the marches. Towns people who did not attend the event were fined! Rides were held on a regular basis between 1579 and 1718. No other ridings were carried out until 1946 when a special Riding of the Marches was held in Edinburgh to celebrate peace and the end of World War II.

Today’s modern-day event includes an epic 26 mile route which finishes in a grand cavalcade up Edinburgh’s most famous street, the Royal Mile.'