The Queen has decided that November 9 shall be observed as Remembrance Sunday. The customary Two Minutes' Silence will be observed from 1100 hours.

The Moderator of the General Assembly of the Church of Scotland, the Right Reverend Professor Iain Torrance, has issued the following message.

"As we have moved further from the two great wars of the last century Remembrance Day has changed. The First World War, with its horrendous loss of life which scarred every village in Scotland, is earlier than our grandparents. It follows that for increasingly few today Remembrance Day is a personal occasion, on which we remember uncles and grandfathers.

"But it doesn't follow that this day is any less important - indeed, in these fragile times, its celebration is more crucial than ever. Just as the parks in our cities are lungs against pollution from cars and provide an open common space, wherein people may move and interact, play or doze, so Remembrance Day acts as a public common space, into which people of all faiths may enter and draw breath.

"We should marvel at the sacrifice and commitment of those who risked and gave everything. We should remember that they forged the tradition of selfless and dogged restraint which is the backbone of peacekeeping today."

Source: The Scottish Executive

Since November 1, 2003