The RAF will play a central role in escorting the Queen’s Baton Relay on a three-day tour around Moray ahead of the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow.
Having arrived back on UK soil last week in Jersey, the Baton has currently embarked on a tour of the country and, unlike the Olympic Flame two years ago, will do much more than touch the edge of Moray on its trip around the nation.
Arriving in Moray in the early afternoon of Wednesday, July 2, the baton relay will depart again on Friday, July 4 – during its stay it will pass through many local communities carried by an army of bearers.
The first to catch a glimpse will be people in Keith, with the baton entering the town at around 2.15pm on July 2. It will move along the A96 to Elgin, arriving around 3pm, before being taken to RAF Lossiemouth for an evening event open to military personnel only.
On July 3 the baton will be taken by RAF Sea King and flown to Buckie shortly after 8am, it will then be transferred to the local RNLI lifeboat to be taken into Buckie harbour at around 9am.
The procession will then move through Buckie along the A98 to Cullen (10am) before moving west to Fochabers (11am) and onwards to Mosstodloch and Lhanbryde before turning off the A96 and heading to Lossiemouth.
Arriving at around 12.50pm there will be a one-hour lunch stop coinciding with sports activities at the Lossiemouth High School playing fields, before the baton moves on again along the B9040 to Hopeman and Cummingston (3.04pm) then Kinloss (3.48pm) and Forres (5.05pm).
After passing through Victoria Road, High Street and Nairn Road the relay returns to the A96 and heads through Alves to Elgin where it will arrive shortly after 6pm. At 6.45pm it will arrive in Cooper Park for an evening celebration event.
On Friday, July 4 the baton sets out for Rothes at 7.30am then on to Aberlour (7.48am) before departing from Moray along the A95.