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Queen’s Baton to start Western Isles tour                 7/7/14

 

The Queen’s Baton Relay starts a two day visits to the Western Isles today.

 

The baton - which is touring Scotland as part of the Commonwealth Games celebrations - flies in to Barra this evening.

 

Its road transport and support staff arrived last night and will be waiting for its arrival.

 

The baton will be piped onto the beach after arriving off the Glasgow plane before being driven down the east side to Castlebay.

 

From 4.30pm, five local bearers will take a turn to carry the baton through Castlebay, down Pier Road, past the ferry terminal and back up onto the main road. It then heads to the school and into the sports centre.

 

A large number of dancers are expected to perform a mass Strip-the-Willow in the Square as part of the community events which take place until 5.30pm.

 

On Tuesday the baton convoy heads for the ferry to Eriskay and a brief stop at Prince Charlie’s Beach before travelling over the causeway to South Uist.

 

A baton relay takes place around the football field at Daiburgh School from 9.20am after a Commonwealth Games ‘Big Breakfast.’ Public events at the school include dance and musical performances as well as family sports activities.

 

Later in the morning, a similar baton relay is being held on the pitch at Liniclate School. Until 12pm there will also be athletics events and a horse riding display. Other public events include a Commonwealth  Games Sports Challenges  in badminton and bowls, a dance display, arts activities and face painting.

 

The baton bypasses North Uist and Berneray as well as South Harris as it is helicoptered to St Kilda on Tuesday. It lands back in Tarbert where a relay event takes place. Then it heads via the west coast of  Lewis to Ness before reaching Stornoway.