THE pinnacle of the week-long celebrations in Musselburgh takes place tomorrow evening (Friday) when the official party head out to perform the Riding of the Marches.

Turf cutter Iain Clark will be accompanied by representatives of the town’s burgesses, under the protection of Town Champion Neil Wilson, as he heads to all 12 turf cutting stations to perform the ancient ceremony and declare the boundaries of the Honest Toun once again.

The traditional procession has been held in Musselburgh for more than 300 years, dating back to 1682 in the history books. It is believed it may have been held for many years before but records were lost in a fire.

In medieval times, the boundaries were important because only people who lived within them were allowed to trade in the town, protecting its local economy.

The Riding of the Marches will begin tomorrow evening at 6pm at the Mercat Cross when the Ceremonial Spade is presented to Mr Clark by the Honorary Provost John Caldwell.

Accompanied by his assistant Fiona Grant-MacDonald, and champion Mr Wilson, he will then be joined by his squires David Finlayson and Graham Bennet and the town’s halberdiers, Scott Robertson and Allan Williams, as they make their way to Ravensheugh Bridge, where he will use the spade to cut a sod of turf and declare: “It’s a’ oor ain!”

Champion Mr Wilson said the shouting of the phrase is a thrilling moment for him at the ceremonial event.

As a two-year-old, when the 1974 Riding of the Marches was being held, he was in his buggy when that year’s turf cutter George Innes enthusiastically cried out the declaration and tossed a sod of turf over his shoulder, landing on the toddler.

Neil, who now runs Wilsons the grocer in the town and is heavily involved in the community, told the Courier: “When the turf cutter digs up that big bit of turf, he shouts: ‘It’s a’ oor ain.’ That really does mean something to me. I’m a Musselburgh man through and through, and the saying for me is absolutely: ‘Musselburgh is ours.’”

The group will visit Edenhall Hospital Gate, Park Lane, Crookston Road, Inveresk House, St Michael’s Inveresk Gate, Roman Bridge, The Grove, Olivebank Road, Newhailes Road, Brunstane Mill and Edinburgh Road, stopping at each location to repeat the turf cutting act and declaration.

Although the ceremony traditionally takes place every 21 years, there was a discrepancy when the 1974 Marches were held just 18 years after the previous 1956 ceremony.

The reason for the early commemoration was planned local government reorganisation. With Musselburgh Town Council about to be changed to East Lothian District Council, it was feared this would be the last Riding of the Marches. Thankfully, it was not.

This year, it is expected the procession will take until 9.30pm to complete as it makes sure to mark all the boundaries. Organisers stressed that while the Riding of the Marches was about the tradition of marking the Burgh boundaries against outsiders, the ceremony was not confined to residents of Musselburgh, Wallyford and Whitecraig. Indeed, hey hope visitors from all over will come to the town to join in the celebrations and watch the ceremony. The event is followed by a Champions Supper in The Brunton.

The timings the procession will be at each of the turf cutting stations are as follows: Ravensheugh Bridge (6.30pm), Edenhall Gate (6.53pm), Park Lane (7.03pm), Crookston Road (7.18pm), Inveresk House (7.32pm), St Michael’s Kirk (7.37pm), Roman Bridge (7.51pm), The Grove 8pm, Olivebank Road (8.10pm), Newhailes Road(8.19pm), Brunstane Mill, (8.31pm) and report back to the Mercat Cross at 9pm.