This year’s Christmas lights switch-on celebrations in Inverness will be dedicated to the memory of two members of Highland Council’s lighting department who died earlier this year.
John Beaton and Alister Wemyss played a key role over many years in the development of the lighting on show at all the council’s winter events – the Halloween Show at Ness Islands, the Winter Wonderland in Whin Park and the Christmas Light Displays in the city centre.
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Provost Helen Carmichael, who will be leading the torchlight procession that will be making its way through Inverness city centre at 5.45pm on Sunday, said: “You only have to walk around our city to discover the contribution made by John and Alister and their colleagues in the Lighting Department towards ensuring Inverness is a beautiful place to be on the darkest of winter nights.
“This tribute is richly deserved and on a night when the younger members of our community gathers to discover the magic of lighting; a most fitting way for us to say a final thank you to our late and sadly missed colleagues.”
The excitement will build from noon on Sunday in Falcon Square when the Eastgate Shopping Centre’s Window Wonderland – so named following the announcement of a new sponsor partnership with the Cairngorm Group – opens with Santa’s arrival.
Torches will be lit at Crown Primary School where the torches will be lit for a procession to the Town House.