The laying up of the New Zealand Scottish Regiment's colours in Dunedin will be marked with a military parade through the city tomorrow afternoon.
Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles will exercise the regiment's charter for the final time, to march through the streets of Dunedin with drums beating, colours flying, swords drawn and bayonets fixed.
The colours will be paraded with a 100-soldier guard, Light Armoured Vehicles, the New Zealand Army band, a piper and former members of the regiment.
Major Kevin Williams, second in command of Queen Alexandra's Mounted Rifles at Linton Military Camp, Palmerston North, said it was a "special moment'' that marked the end of an era for the regiment, known for its distinctive Highland dress and Glengarry bonnets at ceremonial events.
He said 90 soldiers were due to arrive from Linton by bus late last night.
Protocol requires 100 soldiers to take part in the final parade before regimental colours are laid up, and the Linton personnel will be joined by Otago members of the 2/4 Battalion of the Royal New Zealand Infantry Regiment.
Three chefs and a food truck from Burnham Camp, near Christchurch, were already in Dunedin to feed the visiting soldiers.
The parade will leave Queens Gardens at 1.15pm, moving up Rattray St, along Princes St to the upper Octagon, where the New Zealand Defence Force will be challenged by the New Zealand Police.
The regiment's charter will be returned to the Dunedin City Council as part of the ceremony.
From the Octagon, the parade will proceed down Stuart St to Toitu Otago Settlers Museum, where the laying up ceremony will take place.
The colours will then be prepared for display later this month.
There was a "certain amount of sadness in laying up the colours'', but by being protected at the museum, they would be "well preserved'' for future generations to view, Maj Williams said.
The colours ceremony marks the disbandment of the last components of the regiment, which was formally disestablished in 2013.
Museum director Jennifer Evans said the regiment had always had a Dunedin base, and laying up of the colours was significant for both the regiment and museum.
"We are privileged to be taking over the care and preservation of its colours.
"This recognises Dunedin's Scottish heritage, and its connections with the New Zealand Defence Force,'' she said.
