Armed Forces Day celebrations across the country have got under way, led from Stirling.
Hundreds of veterans, serving personnel and cadets have joined Princess Anne and the Prime Minister for the day of military demonstrations and events.
A huge parade of services personnel - young and old - kicked off the proceedings, marching from Stirling Castle to the events grounds nearby.
A Red Arrows display is among a packed timetable of entertainment on show.
The parade began at Stirling Castle under stormy skies, at a place much fought over by the English and the Scots in the late Middle Ages.
That echo of battles past and battles still to come hung in the air as Prime Minister David Cameron stood near Alex Salmond, Scotland's first minister, as Her Royal Highness the Princess Royal took the salute.
Mr Salmond is the man hoping to lead the country to independence this September - in a referendum that's not the only one proving troublesome for Mr Cameron.
During the march past, an Indian-born veteran of the Parachute Regiment, Sergeant Milton Reilly, took the chance to tell Mr Salmond, the Princess Royal and the Prime Minister in person what he thought of the referendum, and his hopes that the UK would remain united, before he was moved along gently by security.
But most here wanted to keep politics out of a day that they say is here to remind the UK of the sacrifices of the UK's armed forces in the past and the present, rather than debate the future.
This afternoon, the Red Arrows will fly overhead - as well as the Battle of Britain memorial flight display, and the Royal Navy Historic flight.
All this, an unspoken reminder that the future of defence in Scotland - from its historic regiments to the nuclear deterrent base in Faslane - is also at stake when Scotland votes in September.
Representatives of the Army, Navy and Air Force are all taking part in the event, which is the centrepiece of celebrations going on all over the country and at British military outposts abroad.
Prime Minister David Cameron and First Minister Alex Salmond were both on hand as the Princess Royal took the salute from a group of veterans leading the 1000-strong parade from the castle at 11:30.
They headed through the Old Town and were joined by cadets and serving personnel at the Albert Halls, before making their way to the events ground at the Royal Parklands.
Tanks and military vehicles are on display throughout the day, with demonstrations by Sea King, Apache and Puma helicopters.
Plane enthusiasts will get to see the Lancaster, Spitfire and Hurricane in flight, along with more modern Typhoon and Tornado jets, and a demonstration by the Red Arrows stunt team is scheduled to close the event.
Other displays include Royal Marines fast-roping from helicopters, pipe bands, a parachute display by the Army's Red Devils, an artillery gun salute and troops staging a ground assault complete with casualty evacuations.
The event comes on the same day First Minister Alex Salmond appointed Scotland's first Veterans Commissioner to provide greater support for services personnel.
Meanwhile the Queen is attending a service honouring volunteers who served in World War One, 100 years on from the assassination of Archduke Franz Ferdinand in Sarajevo which led to the outbreak of war.
Organisers estimate the Armed Forces Day event will earn about £1m for the local economy, while boosting Stirling's reputation as a tourist destination.
'Time to shine'Armed Forces Day is part of Stirling's "Big Weekend", which includes the Bannockburn Live battle re-enactment weekend, the Pipefest pipe band competition, and a night of open-air performances, entertainment and street art at Stirling's Big Night Out.
VisitScotland chairman Mike Cantlay said thousands of people were expected to attend the events.
He said: "The teams for Pipefest, Armed Forces Day and Bannockburn Live are working hard to ensure Stirling's Big Weekend is one to remember.
"Never before has this stunning city hosted as many tourists from all over the world and it really is Stirling's time to shine, showcasing the attractions, landscapes and history of this amazing area."
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