Lighting the beacon

We went to the lighting of the beacon for the Queen’s Platinum Jubilee last night. Over 1,500 beacons were lit across the UK and the Commonwealth at exactly 9:45pm BST in celebration of the Queen’s life of service. A lone piper played Diu Regnare (long to reign) which was written by Stuart Liddell especially for the occasion.

The piper was excellent!

I suppose it’s fitting the Aberdeen-oil-city beacon was gas-fired only I think they turned the gas on a little too early because there was a small explosion when it first got lit and I think the fellow nearly lost his eyebrows.

I wondered about the significance of lighting a beacon and it’s a tradition going back hundreds of years when beacons were used as communication tools. When lit from the top of a hill people on neighbouring hills could see them and light up their beacons, thus sending a chain of communication across the country.

The ceremony in Aberdeen was outside Marischal College which was looking splendid at sunset.

The kids enjoyed being part of this little piece of history. Will another British Monarch ever surpass Elizabeth II’s long reign?

People in the UK have a great deal of admiration and affection for the Queen and this was very evident in the ceremony. She conducts herself with such dignity and integrity and does this nation proud.

On the way home I snapped another couple of photos of Aberdeen looking quite lovely in front of the setting sun.

Here’s another British monarch. This is the King Edward VII statue on Union Street in Aberdeen. Edward was Queen Victoria’s eldest son and only reigned from 1901 to 1910.