Wick Marks Armed Forces Day with Inspiring Message of Gratitude

Key Points

• A short Armed Forces Day service was held at 11am on Saturday outside Caithness General Hospital in Wick.
• The flags of the armed forces were flown above the nearby Wick war memorial during the event.
• The service was led by Kevin Stewart, of the Wick, Canisbay and Latheron branch of the Royal British Legion Scotland.
• Mr Stewart is a former frontline soldier who is currently training to join the Army chaplaincy.
• Fellow Legion branch members and the North Coast Pipers also took part in the service.
• Mr Stewart’s address centred on a message of thanks to serving personnel, veterans, reservists, cadets and military families.
• He spoke of the values underpinning military service, including courage, self-discipline, integrity, respect and loyalty.
• Armed Forces Day is held on the last Saturday of June each year.
• The day gives members of the public a chance to show support for the armed forces community.

Scotland (Britain Today News) June 27, 2026 – A two-word message rang out clearly in Wick on Armed Forces Day: “Thank you.” A short service held outside Caithness General Hospital on Saturday morning brought together military veterans, Royal British Legion Scotland members and local pipers to honour those who serve, and have served, in Britain’s armed forces.

What Happened at the Wick Armed Forces Day Service?

The service began at 11am on Saturday, taking place outside Caithness General Hospital. Flags representing the armed forces were raised above the nearby Wick war memorial for the duration of the event, providing a visual backdrop to the act of remembrance and gratitude. The setting, close to both the hospital and the town’s war memorial, placed the service at the heart of the local community, linking it symbolically to both care and sacrifice.

The gathering was modest in scale but rich in symbolism, reflecting a long-standing tradition in towns and villages across the United Kingdom of pausing, however briefly, to recognise the contribution of service personnel, veterans and their families on this particular day each year.

Who Led the Service in Wick?

The service was conducted by Kevin Stewart, a member of the Wick, Canisbay and Latheron branch of the Royal British Legion Scotland. Mr Stewart brings personal military experience to his role within the Legion: he is a former frontline soldier who is now training to join the Army chaplaincy, a path that combines his background in service with pastoral and spiritual support for military personnel.

His dual background — as a veteran of frontline duty and as someone preparing for a chaplaincy role — gave his remarks at the Wick service a particular resonance, drawing on both lived experience of military life and an emerging vocation centred on supporting those who serve.

Who Else Took Part in the Event?

Mr Stewart was not alone in marking the occasion. Fellow members of the Wick, Canisbay and Latheron branch of the Royal British Legion Scotland joined him for the service, representing the wider local veteran and ex-services community. The North Coast Pipers also took part, lending a musical and ceremonial dimension to proceedings that is traditional at events of this nature across Scotland.

The combination of Legion branch members and pipers reflected the layered nature of Armed Forces Day commemorations: part formal act of remembrance, part community gathering, and part celebration of musical and cultural tradition tied to Scotland’s military heritage.

What Did Kevin Stewart Say at the Service?

Addressing those gathered, Mr Stewart opened with a direct statement of purpose for the day. He told the gathering:

“Today, we mark Armed Forces Day. It’s an opportunity for us to pause and to say two simple words: Thank you.”

He then extended that message of thanks across the full spectrum of the armed forces community, saying:

“Thank you to the men and women of the Army, the Royal Navy and the Royal Air Force. Thank you to those who serve today, to those who have served in the past, our reservists, our cadets, who represent the future, and to the families who quietly carry the burdens of military life alongside those they love.”

Why Did Mr Stewart Emphasise the Cost of Freedom?

A central theme of Mr Stewart’s address was the cost borne by service personnel in securing the freedoms enjoyed by the wider public. He was direct in making this point, telling those present:

“The freedom that we enjoy today was not free. Our freedom came at a cost, for some gave the ultimate sacrifice.”

This part of his address reflected the more solemn undertone that runs through Armed Forces Day events generally — alongside the celebratory recognition of those currently serving, there remains an acknowledgement of those who lost their lives in military service, and the families who continue to live with that loss.

What Did He Say About Ordinary People Doing Extraordinary Things?

Mr Stewart went on to reflect on the broader historical pattern of service, framing it as something carried out not by an exceptional few but by ordinary members of the public across generations. He said:

“For generations, ordinary men and women have been willing to do extraordinary things in the service of our nation. Today we honour their courage, their commitment and their selfless service.”

This framing positioned the Wick service within a much longer continuum of national remembrance, connecting the present-day armed forces community to generations of service personnel who came before them.

What Values Did Mr Stewart Say Underpin Military Service?

Drawing on his own background, Mr Stewart spoke about the values he believes are instilled through military service. He said:

“As someone who had the privilege of serving in the Army myself, I know that military service is built on values such as courage, self-discipline, integrity, respect and loyalty.”

By referencing his own time in the Army, Mr Stewart lent personal authority to this part of his address, framing the values he described not as abstract ideals but as ones he had observed and lived by during his own service.
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What Was Mr Stewart’s Closing Message?

Mr Stewart closed his address with a call for continued recognition and support of both serving personnel and veterans, saying:

“May we never take their service for granted and may we continue to support those who wear the uniform today, along with the veterans who have worn it before.”

He ended the service with a final blessing:

“Thank you, and may God bless our armed forces, our veterans, our community and our nation.”

What Is Armed Forces Day and When Is It Held?

Armed Forces Day is held annually on the last Saturday of June. It exists to give members of the public an opportunity to show their support for the men and women who make up the armed forces community, encompassing serving personnel across the Army, Royal Navy and Royal Air Force, as well as reservists, cadets, veterans and military families.

The day is marked across the UK through a range of events, from large-scale city gatherings to smaller, community-based services such as the one held in Wick. Regardless of scale, the events tend to share a common purpose: recognising the contribution and sacrifice of those connected to the armed forces, in the past and present.

What Role Does the Royal British Legion Scotland Play in Events Like This?

The Wick, Canisbay and Latheron branch of the Royal British Legion Scotland was central to organising and conducting Saturday’s service. The Royal British Legion Scotland has a long-standing role in supporting veterans and their families and in organising remembrance and commemorative events throughout the year, of which Armed Forces Day services form one part.

Branches such as the one operating in Wick, Canisbay and Latheron provide a local focal point for veterans and serving personnel’s families, often drawing on members with direct service backgrounds — as is the case with Mr Stewart — to lead commemorative events within their communities.

What Does This Service Mean for the Wick Community?

For the people of Wick, Saturday’s short service offered a moment of shared recognition, set against the backdrop of the town’s war memorial and conducted by a figure with direct knowledge of military service. The presence of the North Coast Pipers and fellow Legion branch members underlined the community dimension of the event, bringing together local residents, veterans and military families in a single act of thanks.

While brief in duration, the service reflected the wider national observance of Armed Forces Day: an occasion built around two simple words, repeated in towns and cities across the country, in recognition of those who serve, and have served, in Britain’s armed forces.