Scotland lights up red in support of Scottish poppy appeal

EVERY corner of Scotland will be glowing red this weekend in support of the 2016 Scottish Poppy Appeal.

Edinburgh Castle is one of the landmarks being lit up in red for Poppyscotland. Picture: Contributed

Some of the country’s most famous buildings, structures and sculptures are lighting up poppy red, raising awareness for the annual fundraising campaign run by the leading charity Poppyscotland.

While the ‘Light Up Red’ campaign has been running for 5 years, 2016 has seen the most support yet with a staggering 20 iconic landmarks taking part.

Eilean Donan Castle in red. Picture: Contributed

Edinburgh Castle, The Kelpies, The Balmoral clock tower, the EICC, The Hydro, Eilean Donan Castle, Glasgow Science Centre, The Hydro, Inverness Castle, Jenners, The Kelpies, McCaig’s Tower in Arbroath, Ness Bridge, St Andrews House, St Magnus Cathedral in Orkney, the Titan Crane, the Signal Tower Museum, AECC, Ayr Racecourse and Victoria Quay will all turn red to mark the remembrance period. The Heavy Horse statue is also wearing a specially-designed poppy once again to celebrate the appeal.

Gordon Michie, head of fundraising at Poppyscotland, said: “It’s fantastic to see Scotland lighting up poppy red for the Scottish Poppy Appeal, and we’ve been blown away by the country’s support.

“We hope that when people see all these wonderful iconic structures glowing red over the weekend they will think about the many ways they too can go the extra mile in their support for this year’s Poppy Appeal.

“Whether it’s putting a little bit more in the poppy tin, or doing something completely different to raise money, every penny helps us to offer life-changing support so we can be there when they call for backup.”

The Kelpies. Picture: Contributed

Poppyscotland provides life-changing support to the Armed Forces community.

Money raised from the Scottish Poppy Appeal and Poppyscotland’s year-round fundraising enables them to deliver support to members of the Armed Forces community in Scotland by providing tailored funding and assistance.

The charity also funds services in advice, employment, housing, mental health, mobility and respite.