A PARADE in honour of the former long-standing president of North Berwick Highland Games will take place on Saturday.

The games, which featured events including caber tossing and throwing a 16lb Scots hammer, were started in 1996 and John Starr was at the helm throughout the games’ more-than-25-year span.

This year’s games were due to take place in the town this weekend but the event was shelved following Mr Starr’s death in April.

Now, a parade will take place this weekend to mark the occasion.

David Campbell, commercial and marketing convenor of North Berwick Highland Games, described Mr Starr as “a close friend”.

READ MORE: John Starr: Tributes paid to North Berwick Highland Games founder

He told the Courier: “John was the absolute fulcrum, the centre point, or whatever word you want to use.

“He was the guy that had the idea of starting the games in the first place.

“He had been a piper and joined the army when he left school.

“When he came back to North Berwick years later, he had the idea of having a Highland Games that was not really in the Highlands.

“He was very into his traditional Scottish bagpipe music and felt it should not be the exclusive preserve of the Highlands.”

The parade will take place from 6pm to 8pm on Quality Street and will feature the pipe bands of North Berwick and Haddington, Highland dancers and Voices Choir, North Berwick.

READ MORE: North Berwick Highland Games cancelled after death of John Starr

Each year, thousands of people would attend the North Berwick Highland Games.

The pipe band competition attracted not only bands from throughout Scotland but also from as far afield as New Zealand, Australia, Canada, Oman and South Africa.

Consideration will also be given to the future of the games moving forward.

Mr Campbell said it gave them time to reflect.

When Mr Starr died earlier this year, tributes were paid by local politicians and also North Berwick Pipe Band, where Mr Starr, who performed on the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards’ version of Amazing Grace, had served two terms as president.

At the time, Eddie Clark, secretary of the band, told the Courier: “A former piper with the Royal Scots Dragoon Guards, John Starr joined North Berwick Pipe Band in the late 1980s and was a stalwart member for the next three decades, playing regularly in the pipe corps and latterly leading the band as drum major.

“He also served two terms as the band’s president (2001-2005 and 2012-2015) with characteristic efficiency and energy, and the enthusiasm and dedication with which he established and ran North Berwick Highland Games will be missed by everyone involved locally in pipe band music.”