THE man responsible for the care of more than 20,000 war graves in Scotland, including one 2300ft up a mountain, has been recognised with an award.
Iain Anderson, regional supervisor for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission (CWGC), received a special President's Commendation from the Duke of Kent at St James's Palace.
His work takes him to 1200 locations from Shetland to the Borders, but one stands out. It commemorates the death of six airmen in April 1941 when their plane crashed on Ben More Assynt.
Due to the inaccessibility of the site, they were buried on the mountain, their final resting places marked with a cairn. The crew were commemorated by the CWGC on a memorial in the nearest graveyard at Inchnadamph Old Churchyard, 20 miles from Ullapool.
But in 2012, the Commission decided to replace the cairn, with a 600kg granite marker which was airlifted up the mountain last year.
Mr Anderson oversaw its installation and has tended to it despite the five-mile trek on foot.
The CWGC's director general, Alan Pateman-Jones, said Iain's hard work had ensured the marker was protected.
Mr Anderson said: "I am grateful for the recognition that not only myself but my entire team in Scotland receive for doing such an important job."
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