Perambulation of the Marches
But on Monday night, the pandemic was forgotten as 3000 people took part in the event – much to the delight of the Lanimer Committee.
Publicity convenver Gordon Gray said: “It was lovely to see people celebrating again and a wee bit of normality return to the town.
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Hide Ad“The Lord Cornets led the way in checking eight of the 17 march stones.
“One of the stones is in the River Mouse and the scramble there was as popular as ever; there were an awful lot of muddy kids, my daughter being one of them!”
The Lord Cornets will check the remainder of the Boundary Stones this week, before the committee sends a letter to the Queen to inform Her Majesty that the Royal Burgh’s boundaries have been inspected.
The Perambulation as it is now only started around 100 years ago; prior to that, it was the Lord Cornets who checked the stones alone. Now, everyone in the town gets involved!
The tradition of handing out birks was also observed.
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Hide AdGordon explained: “In 1850, one of the landowners barred the Cornets from passing through his land.
“The townsfolk got fed up with it and went en masse through his land, ripping up some newly planted birk trees.”
Thousands assembled at the Cross to see Ian Douglas return the Burgh Standard, unsullied and unstained, to Lanimer Committee chairman Kenny Lean. It was then passed on to new Lord Cornet Derek McGuinness.
All pictures by kind permission of John Watson.