The Edinburgh Riding of the Marches returned to the streets of the Capital on Sunday, September 10, after a three-year break due to the Covid pandemic and the Queen’s death.
The event commemorates the tradition of inspecting the city's boundaries and re-enacts the Captain of the Trained Band's return to the city with the tragic news of defeat at the Battle of Flodden in 1513. The Riding of the Marches can be traced back to at least 1579. After the Union of Parliaments in 1707 the annual inspection ceased until 1946 when a ride was held to celebrate peace after the Second World War.
It returned in it current form in 2009 and has become established as a popular family event, as well as attracting hundreds of riders each year. The procession of horses up the Royal Mile included riders from the 29 Riding Towns of Scotland, each wearing their traditional coloured sashes, as well as riders from around the world.
1. Horses parade up the Royal Mile
The Riding of the Marches parade makes its way up the Royal Mile past St Giles' Cathedral. Photo: Lisa Ferguson
2. Don't mind the rain
Crowds turned out to watch the Riding up the Royal Mile despite the poor weather on Sunday afternoon. Photo: Lisa Ferguson
3. Ancient tradition
The parade up the Royal Mile has its roots in the historical Common Ridings of Scotland and follows a morning of high-energy gallops through some of Edinburgh's countryside to re-enact the riding of the boundaries of the city. Photo: Lisa Ferguson
4. Heart of the Capital
Over 280 horse take part in Edinburgh's Riding of the Marches each year, right in the heart of the Capital. Photo: Lisa Ferguson