As part of our Armistice Day commemorations, we’re hearing from colleagues who have previously served in the Armed Forces and why today is important to them. Pressure Control Craftsperson Scott Gray has worked in Dumfries for ten years and shares his story.
Yesterday was Remembrance Sunday so I wanted to share a bit about my journey with Fir Chogaidh MCC, the motorcycle club that’s been a huge part of my community for the past twelve years. I’m not the only SGN colleague in the club – Jeff Burnett, a Trainee Pressure Control Craftsperson, is a member too. I currently ride a Yamaha XV 1900, having given up my sports bike years ago after a close friend, also an Army Veteran, died in an accident. I came to a decision that the bigger, not always slower, cruiser style suits me better now.
As a veteran who has served 16 years in the armed forces, it meant so much to find this group – a place that’s filled with people who get it, who’ve been there, and who, like me, felt a bit of a gap after leaving service.
When I was in the Army, I spent years doing tours all over the world – Northern Ireland, the Falklands, Afghanistan, Iraq, the US, Australia, Europe, New Zealand and many more locations. The transition from military to civilian life can be hard as you lose that close camaraderie, craic and a shared warped sense of humour that’s a big part of military life. I lost touch with my military family once we stopped serving together.
Finding Fir Chogaidh MCC – which means ‘Men of War’ – felt like coming home.
The club’s been around for over 12 years and it’s purely for veterans that have been deployed. We’re a mix of ex-military blokes who connect over rides, laughs, and a shared sense of humour that’s sometimes on the dark side!
Joining the club not only gave me back that sense of brotherhood, but it also brought me closer to veteran support efforts. We’ve raised funds for Who Dares Cares and other charities like Veterans Garden Dumfries or Erskine Hospital, doing whatever we can to help those who’ve served. We also take part in other charitable rides like the Easter Egg Run Glasgow for the Children's Hospital Charity and similar events.
Having lost several friends/brothers on operational tours I feel the great importance in remembering and this year, as I have the last four years now, I rode in the Dumfries Remembrance Sunday parade with some of the club members, and we laid a wreath at the war memorial to pay our respects. Other members also joined the parades in Glasgow and Edinburgh as well, keeping up a tradition that goes back for years.
For anyone who’s left the military and feels like there’s a piece missing, I’d really recommend finding something like this. It doesn’t have to be a motorcycle club, of course, but it’s good to be part of a community that truly understands what you’ve experienced. We’ve got social events, wild camping, and even Christmas dos so it goes beyond just riding together. It’s more than just the parades too; it’s the banter, the laughs, and having people around who’ve walked a similar path.
I’m proud to say I’m part of Fir Chogaidh MCC, and I’m even prouder to ride alongside my fellow veterans on days like Armistice Day.
