A MEMBER of the Helensburgh Clan Colquhoun Pipe Band led the tributes as people in the area marked the 75th anniversary of the end of the Second World War in Europe.

Piper Andrew Crockett played the lament The Flowers O’ The Forest at the old Cardross Parish Church on Friday to commemorate the VE Day milestone.

The old church was bombed during the war, and now stands as a memorial which is also home to a number of Commonwealth war graves.

Postman Andrew, who volunteers with the Erskine charity for former service personnel at its ‘Scotland’s Bravest’ workshop, had earlier marked the end of the nationwide two-minute silence by playing a lament outside his home in the village’s Bainfield Road.

READ MORE: Video: Helensburgh falls silent to mark 75th anniversary of VE Day

The Argyle Care Centre in the town was also visited by a piper, who played 'The Battle's O'er' outside the home at 3pm while indoors residents raised a glass to toast those who fought in the war.

Elsewhere, although social distancing restrictions put paid to any large scale public events to mark the anniversary, many Helensburgh residents stood in silent tribute for two minutes at 11am, while red, white and blue bunting was visible outside several homes in the area.

And while there were no big street parties, people in some Helensburgh streets did take part in some small-scale celebrations, observing social distancing rules between households with their neighbours.

The Royal Navy joined in the commemorations on Friday with the communal sounding of sirens by ships at Faslane at 3pm, the time when Winston Churchill told the nation in a 1945 radio broadcast that the war in Europe was at an end.

READ MORE: Video: Sirens sound at Faslane in Royal Navy's VE Day anniversary tribute

Many people living close to the shore of the Gareloch left their homes on Friday evening hoping to catch a glimpse of a further tribute from Faslane, where ships had been expected to shine their searchlights skywards for five minutes at 10pm, according to plans which had been announced a few days earlier by the Royal Navy.

However, nothing was visible at 10pm, and it later transpired that the Navy had moved the ‘searchlight tribute’ at short notice to 9.30pm, the same time as it was observed elsewhere in the UK, in the hope of better capturing footage which could be shared on social media.

The Navy later apologised and said that light conditions in the area meant the tribute at the earlier time was not visible from a distance.

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