There will be an outpouring of joy this week as the men and women of The Black Watch begin their return from their latest tour of duty in Afghanistan.
Families will welcome their loved ones back onto Scottish soil over the next two weeks after six months of separation.
A 10-strong forward party has already touched down, having made the outward trip ahead of their colleagues to prepare for the arrival of the main force of 3rd Battalion The Royal Regiment of Scotland (3 SCOTS).
Their comrades are expected to return from Helmand in numbers on Thursday and Saturday, with the return expected to be completed next week.
It is understood they will fly in to RAF Kinloss or RAF Lossiemouth, where the timing of the return flights may curtail immediate reunions.
From there, however, they will return to their home base at Fort George near Inverness, where loved ones will gather.
The 500-strong force has emerged largely unscathed, with past tragedy thankfully not revisited upon the historic battalion.
Injuries have been unavoidable in the testing situations in which The Black Watch has conducted itself with such distinction, but there has thankfully been no loss of life.Training roleThe soldiers and their support team have spent the past six months in Afghanistan in what has mainly been a training role.
The battalion took up residence in a base at Lashkar Gah in September, from where they have been responsible for numerous patrols and maintaining a presence on the streets.
Working with Afghan security forces, they have passed on their training in preparation for the handover of control.
Their return is being staged, with stops at Camp Bastion and in Cyprus as the soldiers begin to wind down from the constant state of alert during their tour of duty.
Once back in Scotland there will be the opportunity for some relaxation, together with homecoming parades to enable the people of Tayside and Fife to celebrate their service.
The Black Watch will march through Forfar, Dundee, Kirkcaldy, Perth and Inverness.Parade datesForfar will stage the first parade on the morning of April 19, with a second parade in Kirkcaldy later that day.
On April 20 the soldiers will make their way to Dundee for a morning parade before visiting Perth in the afternoon.
Perth’s parade is scheduled to begin at 2pm and will see the soldiers assembling on Rose Terrace before proceeding through the town centre to gather once again on the town’s North Inch.
As The Black Watch was granted the Freedom of the City of Perth in 1947, the battalion will exercise its right to march with ”drums beating, colours flying and bayonets fixed”.
They will then be given a well-deserved month’s leave.
On June 23, they will then return to Perth when they will present the colours of The Black Watch at the war memorial on the North Inch.