Over 100,000 set to show their support for forces

MILITARY top brass are predicting that this weekend's Armed Forces Day celebrations will be the biggest military occasion in the capital in modern times.

Some 3,500 participants will take part in the centrepiece event of a three-day programme when they parade down the Royal Mile before Prince Charles and the Duchess of Rothesay take a royal salute outside the Scottish Parliament.

Upwards of 100,000 people are expected to descend on the famous thoroughfare and a vast arena at Holyrood Park throughout the day on Saturday for a seven-hour military showpiece.

Senior UK government figures - including Defence Secretary Liam Fox, as well as Britain's most senior military figure General Sir David Richards, the Chief of the Defence Staff - are expected to be in attendance.

Among the highlights of the day will be a flypast by the Red Arrows, a parachute display, combat demonstrations by the Royal Marines, and a "beating the retreat" display in the royal park. Pupils at Edinburgh Academy have been given a starring role, fresh from winning the BBC Songs of Praise "choir of the year" contest.

One of the senior officers organising the celebrations, Brigadier George Lowder, commander of 51 (Scottish) Brigade, said: "There's certainly been nothing of this scale held in Edinburgh over the last 20 years.

"The participants in the parade will be a mixture of around 2,000 military personnel, and another 1,500 veterans, who will assemble at Edinburgh Castle just before 11am before heading down the Royal Mile."

The festivities in Edinburgh will get underway on Friday when Leith Docks hosts a number of water-based displays as well as a visit from HMS Portland, while the Red Arrows will give a display over the city at 7pm.