In a corner of Cafe 1668 in Inverness, banter and chat resounds from a reserved table taken up by small group of men.
It is the weekly meeting of Highland Veterans, an informal group for former service people to get together and chat, have a laugh and put the world to rights over a cuppa in a relaxed atmosphere.
Most of the members – but not all – have been diagnosed with Post Traumatic Stress Disorder (PTSD) and the group often provides vital but unobtrusive support.
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They include Gordon Macmillan who joined the Gordon Highlanders in 1970 aged just 15 and who later went on to serve in Northern Ireland during the so-called Troubles.
It took almost 40 years before he was diagnosed with PTSD due to his experiences including the loss of friends while on one occasion he was almost blown up when a car bomber tried to get into camp.
Gordon was just 100 yards away when it went off.
“In the 1970s, we didn’t know about PTSD,” he said.
“If anything happened to us, you were sent to the NAAFI (Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes) and drank and that was it.”
Gordon Macmillan served with the Gordon Highlanders. Picture: James Mackenzie
Gordon, who is married with two sons and three grandchildren, said his undiagnosed PTSD not only impacted on him but his family, too.
“I used to get angry very quickly but we didn’t know it was PTSD,” he said.
In 2016, he became unwell and started to have suicidal thoughts.
But with the help of the forces charities, Poppyscotland and Combat Stress, he was referred to a psychologist at New Craigs Psychiatric Hospital in Inverness and was subsequently diagnosed with PTSD.
He finds meeting up with ex-servicemen at Highland Veterans provides a sense of comradeship.
“It is like a second family,” he said.
“We have all been through something. We know we can talk to each other.”
He stressed the group, which meets on Friday mornings at the cafe in the city’s Church Street, is not a charity.
“It is just veterans who gather together to discuss, help and support each other,” he said.
“We know what we have been through and what needs to be done – and we can pass that knowledge on to others.
”Any veterans can come along and sit with us.”
Highland Veterans meet at Cafe 1668 in Inverness. Picture: James Mackenzie
Roger Jarvis (70), who served with the RAF, has not suffered PTSD but is one of the group’s core members.
“I look forward to it and if nothing is arranged, I start to miss it,” he said.
“I used it and still do because I lost my wife in the last two years.
“I use it as back-up and support. We support each other.”
Chad Fraser-Hall, who is approaching 80 years, is a former rifleman for the Royal Green Jackets and was diagnosed with PTSD.
“It took 50 years of not knowing what was wrong before I was diagnosed,” he said.
“I look forward to Friday mornings, You get the craic. It gets you out of the house.”
During service with the Queen’s Own Highlands and the Royal Engineers, Kenny Shand (64) saw comrades killed or injured and has subsequently been diagnosed with PTSD.
“I wake up from 3am every morning,” he said.
“It is like a natural alarm clock which ticks in and I cannot get back to sleep.”
He said thanks to Combat Stress, he had got support and help to deal with it.
Highland Veterans is open to ex-members of different services, regiments and units and the group members stress they are not there to swap war stories.
The group used to meet at PoppyScotland in Strothers Lane.
Kenny Shand enjoys a blether and cuppa. Picture: James Mackenzie
But when that closed four years ago, the members moved to the Victorian Market until finding a home at the non-profit making Cafe 1668 in Church Street at the suggestion of the then manager Roy Harrison who had previously served with the Royal Engineers.
He is now a peer recovery worker with Combat Stress which helps former servicemen and women deal with issues such as PTSD, anxiety and depression.
The charity provides specialist treatment and support for veterans from every service and conflict, focusing on those with complex mental health issues related to their military service.
Roy, whose clients aged from in their 30s to their 80s are spread across the Highlands and Islands as well as Moray and Aberdeenshire, says it can sometimes take years for the symptoms of PTSD to appear.
He felt there was no longer the stigma that there used to be.
“The signs to look out for include lack of sleep, alcohol or substance misuse, vandalism, aggression or getting frustrated,” he said.
“It could be one word which is a trigger.”
He said veterans themselves or family members could seek advice from their GP or call the Combat Stress free helpline on 0800 138 1619, or email helpline@combatstress.org.uk.