London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Tuesday, Aug 19, 2025

Pipers and silence mark Scotland's moment of reflection

Pipers and silence mark Scotland's moment of reflection

Scotland joined the UK-wide tribute to the Queen on Sunday evening, ahead of her state funeral on Monday.

The national moment of reflection took place at 20:00.

People were encouraged to observe a one-minute silence to remember the Queen, privately at home, on their doorstep or street, or at community events and vigils.

Scotland had several events planned to mark the moment and the monarch's great affection for the country.

At Westminster, Big Ben tolled to start the beginning of the national moment of reflection before being struck once more at 20:01 as it ended.

But laments were already marked by lone pipers at several locations north of the border.

At 18:00 they played The Immortal Memory at four sites:

*  Dornoch - Cathedral Green

*  Fort William - War Memorial, The Parade

*  Inverness - Inverness Town House

*  Portree - Somerled Square

Piper Willie Fraser played the lament at Cathedral Green in Dornoch


Deputy First Minister John Swinney took to the steps of the Scottish government's St Andrew's House in Edinburgh alongside cabinet members Angus Robertson, Ben Macpherson, Jenny Gilruth, and Lesley Fraser, the director general corporate.

He said: "The national moment of reflection has been a dignified way for many of us to pay our respects to the Queen, whether in our own homes or at public events, by observing a minute silence.

"In reflecting on Her Majesty's life and legacy, many of us have considered her long and valued service to the nation and the respect and admiration she had for the people of Scotland.

"These feelings were reciprocated, and will remain long after we pay our final respects to the Queen as part of tomorrow's state funeral."

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is in London to attend the state funeral on Monday.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney and other ministers at St Andrews house


A larger "service of reflection" took place at The Kelpies in Falkirk.

The ceremony saw 96 lanterns - one for each year of the Queen's life - being lit and lowered into the Kelpies pool of reflection.

Local wreaths were floated in the water and lone piper Euan Thomson played 'A Salute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II'.

The event was led by former Moderator, Very Rev Martin Fair and incorporated the national silence.

The Queen and Prince Philip had visited the a new section of the Queen Elizabeth II Canal in July 2017, built as part of the £43m Helix project.

Its focal point is the internationally-acclaimed, 30m (98ft) high Kelpies sculptures.

The Kelpies service saw 96 lanterns floated on the pool of reflection


Catherine Topley, chief executive of Scottish Canals told BBC Scotland: "It is fitting we hold the remembrance here. The Queen and her family have been known to visit the canals and in 2017 she opened the Queen Elizabeth II canal.

"So it's a tribute to her tonight, taking a moment to reflect and remember our Queen."

In Braemar - which was at the centre of the early mourning events - a short ceremony was held including a lone piper who played The Flowers of the Forest - the tune played at the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral.

In Braemar, a piper played the same tune performed at the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral


Local resident Colin Hunter said: "I think people will do different things this evening, some will want to be at home with their families, but we thought with the links of the community to the royal family, the Royal Highland Society here which runs the annual games and the community council thought it appropriate to allow the villagers to get together for that important moment.

"Our memories as a village very much relate to the gathering. We have pictures going back 80-90 years of her attending.

"Others have personal memories because they have worked at Balmoral or met the Queen either formally or informally because it was quite common for us to bump into her."

Rev Mark E Johnstone has led a service at Glasgow Cathedral


In Glasgow, Rev Mark E Johnstone began a Service of Preparation at Glasgow Cathedral ahead of the silence.

He said: "It weighs heavily on our hearts and minds and within this ancient building we have the opportunity to reflect and prepare ourselves as we, with a nation, engage through the mystery of worship in what it means to give thanks and lay to rest."

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack paid tribute to the Queen after the national moment of reflection, and said the past few days had shown how much she "meant to people in Scotland".

"From Balmoral all the way to Edinburgh, Scots turned out in droves to pay their respects, give thanks for the Queen's lifetime of service and mourn her passing," he said.

"Tomorrow will be a day of unbearable sadness for our nation as Her Majesty is laid to rest. Our thoughts will be with our new King, Charles III, and the rest of the royal family."

Tennis Fans at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow fell silent for a minute at the Davis Cup group D match between Great Britain and Kazakhstan.

An image was beamed on the big screen as the moment was marked.

Tennis Fans at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow fell silent for a minute at the Davis Cup group D match between Great Britain and Kazakhstan


In Edinburgh, a brief service was held before the silence at Canongate Kirk on the Royal Mile.

Emily Cowan's stone tribute can be seen on the flight path to Cumbernauld Airport


The Scottish government said that communities groups, clubs and other organisations across Scotland were also encouraged to take part.

Emily Cowan from Allandale, near Bonnybridge, put together her own tribute at her workplace, CED Stone Scotland.

She used different aggregates and pebbles to make a 4.8m (15.7ft) by 3.2m (10.5ft) picture of the Queen's profile on the roof of an office building which can be seen on the flight path to Cumbernauld Airport.


National minute's silence held to remember the Queen


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Taylor Swift on the Way to the Super Bowl? All the Clues Stirring Up Fans
Dogfights in the Skies: Airbus on Track to Overtake Boeing and Claim Aviation Supremacy
Tim Cook Promises an AI Revolution at Apple: "One of the Most Significant Technologies of Our Generation"
Apple Expands Social Media Presence in China With RedNote Account Ahead of iPhone 17 Launch
Are AI Data Centres the Infrastructure of the Future or the Next Crisis?
Cambridge Dictionary Adds 'Skibidi,' 'Delulu,' and 'Tradwife' Amid Surge of Online Slang
Bill Barr Testifies No Evidence Implicated Trump in Epstein Case; DOJ Set to Release Records
Zelenskyy Returns to White House Flanked by European Allies as Trump Pressures Land-Swap Deal with Putin
The CEO Who Replaced 80% of Employees for the AI Revolution: "I Would Do It Again"
Emails Worth Billions: How Airlines Generate Huge Profits
Character.ai Bets on Future of AI Companionship
China Ramps Up Tax Crackdown on Overseas Investments
Japanese Office Furniture Maker Expands into Bomb Shelter Market
Intel Shares Surge on Possible U.S. Government Investment
Hurricane Erin Threatens U.S. East Coast with Dangerous Surf
EU Blocks Trade Statement Over Digital Rule Dispute
EU Sends Record Aid as Spain Battles Wildfires
JPMorgan Plans New Canary Wharf Tower
Zelenskyy and his allies say they will press Trump on security guarantees
Beijing is moving into gold and other assets, diversifying away from the dollar
Escalating Clashes in Serbia as Anti-Government Protests Spread Nationwide
The Drought in Britain and the Strange Request from the Government to Delete Old Emails
Category 5 Hurricane in the Caribbean: 'Catastrophic Storm' with Winds of 255 km/h
"No, Thanks": The Mathematical Genius Who Turned Down 1.5 Billion Dollars from Zuckerberg
The surprising hero, the ugly incident, and the criticism despite victory: "Liverpool’s defense exposed in full"
Digital Humans Move Beyond Sci-Fi: From Virtual DJs to AI Customer Agents
YouTube will start using AI to guess your age. If it’s wrong, you’ll have to prove it
Jellyfish Swarm Triggers Shutdown at Gravelines Nuclear Power Station in Northern France
OpenAI’s ‘PhD-Level’ ChatGPT 5 Stumbles, Struggles to Even Label a Map
Zelenskyy to Visit Washington after Trump–Putin Summit Yields No Agreement
High-Stakes Trump-Putin Summit on Ukraine Underway in Alaska
The World Economic Forum has cleared Klaus Schwab of “material wrongdoing” after a law firm conducted a review into potential misconduct of the institution’s founder
The Mystery Captivating the Internet: Where Has the Social Media Star Gone?
Man Who Threw Sandwich at Federal Agents in Washington Charged with Assault – Identified as Justice Department Employee
A Computer That Listens, Sees, and Acts: What to Expect from Windows 12
Iranian Protection Offers Chinese Vehicle Shipments a Cost Advantage over Japanese and Korean Makers
UK has added India to a list of countries whose nationals, convicted of crimes, will face immediate deportation without the option to appeal from within the UK
Southwest Airlines Apologizes After 'Accidentally Forgetting' Two Blind Passengers at New Orleans Airport and Faces Criticism Over Poor Service for Passengers with Disabilities
Russian Forces Advance on Donetsk Front, Cutting Key Supply Routes Near Pokrovsk
It’s Not the Algorithm: New Study Claims Social Networks Are Fundamentally Broken
Sixty-Year-Old Claims: “My Biological Age Is Twenty-One.” Want the Same? Remember the Name Spermidine
Saudi Arabia accelerates renewables to curb domestic oil use
U.S. Investigation Reports No Russian Interference in Romanian Election First Round
Oasis Reunion Tour Linked to Temporary Rise in UK Inflation
Musk Alleges Apple Favors OpenAI in App Store Rankings
Denmark Revives EU ‘Chat Control’ Proposal for Encrypted Message Scanning
US Teen Pilot Reaches Deal to Leave Chile After Unauthorized Antarctic Landing
Trump considers lawsuit against Powell over Fed renovation costs
Trump Criticizes Goldman Sachs Over Tariff Cost Forecasts
Perplexity makes unsolicited $34.5 billion all-cash offer for Google’s Chrome browser
×