Here's how you can mark VE Day in Edinburgh today

Planned events have been replaced by virtual ones.

While the majority of celebrations planned to mark the 75th anniversary of VE Day in Edinburgh have been cancelled due to the Covid-19 lockdown, there are still a number of events which will be going ahead virtually.

Legion Scotland, together with Poppyscotland and the Scottish Government, has outlined a timetable of events to celebrate VE day nationwide beginning with a ‘national doorstep salute’ at 8am.

This will be followed by a Service of Remembrance delivered by Facebook Live from the Legion Scotland and Poppyscotland Facebook accounts between 10.35am and 11.15am.

Both charities will also broadcast an hour-long Tribute Concert at midday, featuring performers who were due to be in the event at the Ross Bandstand in Princes Street Gardens, including Legion Scotland singer Amy Hawthorn.

Dr Claire Armstrong, CEO at Legion Scotland, said: “I believe it is important for people to know that even in lockdown we are able to create an alternative way to mark this special occasion and to pay our respects as we bring people together virtually on the 8th of May to commemorate VE Day.

“As the custodians of Remembrance in Scotland, our involvement in services of commemoration like these is so important. They allow our communities to join together to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice, or who returned from battles in foreign lands with life-changing injuries.

“We will remember them and, even during this unprecedented pandemic, our enduring message of comradeship comes very much to the fore.”

There will be a ‘national toast’ to those who fought in WWII at 3pm, the BBC will broadcast a commemorative programme at 9pm on BBC One.

This will include a message from the Queen at 9pm, the same time that her father King George VI gave a radio address in 1945.

There will then be a ‘national singalong’ of Vera Lynn’s ‘We’ll Meet Again’.

Ships throughout the Firth of Forth will sound their horns to mark the key events of VE Day.

As part of the Naval Service ‘Shine a Light VE campaign’, Royal Navy and Royal Fleet Auxiliary vessels will sound their horns at 3pm to mark Churchill’s speech, and will shine their search lights and spotlights at 9.30pm to mark the speech of King George VI.

The horns will sound for one minute, while the lights will shine for five, at 9.30pm rather than the original time of 9pm so as to be visible in the night sky.

Military vessels in the Forth include the HMS Archer, fishing support vessel Jura and standby safety vessel VOS Protector, all currently docked in Leith.

The Royal Navy has asked non-military ships to join in the campaign, sounding their horns and shining their lights to pay tribute.

The four Fred Olsen cruise ships anchored off Gullane will do so, along with many other vessels in the area.

“This week marks 75 years since Victory in Europe and obviously it's a great shame that we can't have the celebrations that we first had planned,” said First Sea Lord Admiral Tony Radakin in a video on social media.

“But nevertheless it’s really important that we find some time to pause, and to remember what was achieved.”