John Rae, Arctic Explorer

It was the anniversary of John Rae's death today and we had a wee ceremony at the graveside in St Magnus Cathedral.

John Rae was employed by the Hudson's Bay Company in North West Canada and explored and mapped many of the areas around there. He found the route for the North West Passage, the shipping lane that would allow ships to go round the top and over to the Pacific rather than having to go all the way south.

John Rae befriended the local Inuits and often went out of his way to support and help them. He was a man of great integrity and, at long last, there is to be a memorial plaque to him put up in Westminster Abbey later this year.

Today, the sun was shining, the piper played 'My home', and later a dram was had in his memory.

A good day.