Olympic Torch begins Scotland tour

Jun 8 2012

The Olympic flame has started its tour of Scotland, where it will spend the next seven days.

The relay began at dawn in the seaside port of Stranraer, on the south-west coast of the country, and will wind its way towards Glasgow.

Thousands of people lined the route to see the Olympic flame begin its journey around Scotland.

The build up began with music in Stranraer's Castle Square, before bearers carrying flags from each of the 200 countries taking part in the Games greeted the torch procession. The first leg of its Scottish journey will end with celebrations in Glasgow later.

Soldier Ross McClelland, from Ayr, was the first person to run with the torch on Scottish soil.

The 20-year-old, who serves with A Company 2 Scots, returned from a tour of duty in Afghanistan earlier this year. During his time in Lashkar Gah, he had to treat a comrade whose leg was blown off when he stepped on a bomb.

Also running were Doreen Bowie, 62, the principal of Stranraer's Wallace School of Dance, and Carol Harwood, from the Isle of Arran. It was the second time Ms Bowie got her hands on the torch - she was picked to carry the flame from the ferry into Scotland from Northern Ireland on Thursday night.

For the next seven days, the torch will tour the country, taking in some of the UK's furthest flung places, including Orkney and Shetland, and the Outer Hebrides. It will also visit Scotland's capital, Edinburgh, where it will be greeted with celebrations at the city's ancient castle.

On Thursday night, the torch was met off the ferry by Scotland Office minister David Mundell and Shona Robison, the Scottish Government's minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport. A ceremony was held at the P&O ferry port where the torch landed.

Organisers said around 3,000 people were in Stranraer to see the torch lit and the relay begin. The atmosphere was full of excitement as crowds gathered from the small hours. Schoolchildren waved their hand-made torches by the side of the route as they waited for the real thing to arrive.