LOCAL MSP Annabelle Ewing visited Ballingry Cemetery as part of her quest to visit all the war graves in the Cowdenbeath constituency.

Ms Ewing was at Ballingry cemetery to pay her respects at the war graves there and it followed on from a speech the MSP gave in the Scottish Parliament on the work of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, during which she made a commitment to visit each of the war graves in her constituency.

Ms Ewing had invited the Veterans Minister, Graeme Dey MSP, to join her on one of her visits – he gladly accepted and joined her this week along with Patricia Keppie of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission.

Speaking after the visit, Ms Ewing said: “In Scotland, there are some 20,000 war graves that are cared for by the commission.

"In my constituency of Cowdenbeath, there are 106 Commonwealth war graves. Those are to be found in Ballingry, Aberdour, Cowdenbeath, Cardenden, Inverkeithing, Rosyth, Lochgelly and Dalgety Bay.

“During a debate in the Scottish Parliament, I made it my new year’s resolution to visit each and every one of those graves in my constituency to pay my respects and I am grateful that the Veterans Minister, Graeme Dey, was able to accept my invitation to join me here in Ballingry for the first of my visits."

Added Ms Ewing: “I was also really pleased to be joined by Patricia Keppie, of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, as we paid our respects to the war dead of Ballingry and Benarty in general. The Commission does a huge power of work ensuring war graves are well cared for throughout Scotland, indeed in over 150 countries and territories worldwide.

“I thank the Commonwealth War Graves Commission for all that it does to ensure that the countless lives that were lost in the first and second world wars are not just commemorated but commemorated with the dignity that they very much deserve.”

Our picture shows Patricia Keppie, Graeme Dey and Annabelle Ewing at Ballingry Cemetery.