St Andrews Day

"Wher'er we live, what'er our lot

Still will I plead and pray

That Scot rejoice wi' brither Scot

Upon St Andrew's Day"

Today I was in St Giles Cathedral for The Festival Of Saint Andrew the Apostle, Patron of Scotland.

The Knights of the Order of the Thistle have it in their Charter to worship in St Giles on St Andrews Day, and for the past 60 years or so have invited to their worship representatives of the armed forces and police, the universities, various professional bodies, Judges and advocates etc, The Lord Provost and City of Edinburgh Council, The Royal Academy, The Grand Lodge of Scotland, and several cultural bodies, including the Robert Burns World Federation. Today I was privileged to lead our representatives in procession into St Giles.

This is truly a grand occasion, we meet in the magnificent Signet Library where maces are polished, robes are donned, and chains of office adorned, (the Federation chain is among the grandest and I was immensely proud to bear it today) as we are called into order for the short procession across the square and into the cathedral. The Provost and Councillors come directly from the city chambers, escorted by the very smart High Constables of Edinburgh bearing their ceremonial silver batons, and the peers of the realm all file in after we more ordinary mortals are escorted to our pews. In this wonderful building, as the Choir begin the Order of the Thistle come into the sanctuary. We then join in a service or worship led by The Very Rev Gilleasbuig Macmillan, Minister of St Giles and Dean of the Thistle, aided by the wonderful singing of the choir.

After our devotions, we retire again to the Signet Library, before taking our several ways with satisfaction that we have taken part in some rich pageantry honouring our Patron Saint.

We are honoured to get this invitation annually, and I have had the pleasure of attending a few of these services. This year we had a number of representatives from Edinburgh, and from as far afield as Lanarkshire, Ayrshire and Dumfries. I would encourage all Members of the Federation to take up a future invitation to take part in this wonderful occasion.