The Friends of Red Harlaw
I refer to my letter (Leopard, September) about the Battle of Harlaw. Following the 600th anniversary ceremonies, the time has come to keep alive the memory of Red Harlaw.
I am considering setting up a Friends of Red Harlaw group for those who have a genuine interest in the history surrounding the battle. This would be a social group, meeting possibly three or four times a year with the following aims:
• to hold an annual dinner in July with an invitee to speak on a subject related to the battle;
• to hold a Remembrance Service at the Chapel of Garioch (the site of Leslie’s Cross) on the closest Sunday to the 24th July;
• to appeal for the re-instatement the lost cairns of Harlaw if possible;
• to act as a repository for all things related to the battle, be it books, ballads and music, for example. In this regard I would like to think that this group could work closely with the Garioch Heritage Society.
If there is an interest in this group, additional aims and objectives can be agreed upon later.
As part of my personal research into the battle I have made many good friends who have similar views, but there are likely to be many more.
Anyone wishing to be part of such a group should contact me by e-mail: albertthomson@ btinternet.com.
The intention is to have a meeting in Inverurie sometime in October and see how those with an interest in the battle wish to move this forward.
Albert Thomson,
Nanaimo, St. Margaret’s Wells, Lethenty, Inverurie AB51 0JN