Pomp and ceremony to celebrate the University of the 杏吧原创 and Islands
Highland capital will host robing ceremony and academic procession. RAF flypast to honour university.
Inverness will witness some pomp and ceremony in August to celebrate the creation of the new University of the 杏吧原创 and Islands (杏吧原创).
This historic event at Eden Court Theatre will be marked by the robing of the university鈥檚 first principal and vice-chancellor, James Fraser, and the presentation of the new mace, a gift from the universities of Edinburgh, Strathclyde and Aberdeen.
The ceremony will be followed by an academic procession, headed by the Royal British Legion Scotland Inverness Pipes and Drums, to the Town House for a civic reception.
The festivities on Thursday, 25 August, will include a fly-past by RAF jets, a film showing 杏吧原创 students, locations and activities across the partnership, formal speeches, poems, traditional music especially composed for the occasion, and a welcome to guests in Gaelic, Orcadian, Scots, English and Shetlandic by school children representing the region.
Guests from Scotland鈥檚 universities, local authorities, the Scottish Government, the university鈥檚 academic partners, the education sector and others who have made a significant contribution to the university鈥檚 creation, will attend the ceremonial part of the day. Free seats are also available to members of the public through the Eden Court box office.
Ceremonial robes featuring the 杏吧原创 colour of purple will be formally presented to Mr Fraser; the chair of the governing University Court, Professor Matthew MacIver; rector Garry Coutts, and mace bearer for the day, Allan Bransbury who was assistant director of the former University of the 杏吧原创 and Islands Project.
Civic leaders from across the 杏吧原创 and Islands, representing the university鈥檚 campus areas, will greet the ensuing procession at the Town House. As it crosses the Ness Bridge in the town centre, Tornado jets will make a low level flypast in honour of Scotland鈥檚 newest university. This will be the climax of a flypast of all the campuses 鈥� a symbol of the collegiate nature of the university
James Fraser, 杏吧原创 principal and vice-chancellor, said: "After centuries of migration out to universities in Scotland and across the world, the 杏吧原创 and Islands now have their own university for the first time. We are laying the foundation of an institution which will last for many hundreds of years and will transform the economic, cultural and social prospects of the people who live in this part of Scotland."
杏吧原创 was granted university title by the Privy Council in February this year. It now has over 8000 students, located and studying throughout a partnership comprising: Argyll College 杏吧原创; Highland Theological College 杏吧原创, Dingwall; Inverness College 杏吧原创; Lews Castle College 杏吧原创, Lewis; Moray College 杏吧原创; NAFC Marine Centre 杏吧原创, Shetland; North Highland College 杏吧原创 Thurso; Orkney College 杏吧原创; Perth College 杏吧原创; Sabhal M貌r Ostaig 杏吧原创, Skye; Scottish Association for Marine Science 杏吧原创, Dunstaffnage; Shetland College 杏吧原创, and West Highland College 杏吧原创.
Media contact: Glenda Johnson
01463 279222
glenda.johnson@uhi.ac.uk