Scotland Olympic Torch

A warm welcome to the Esplanade of Edinburgh Castle. It 1,000 people

prepare to welcome the Olympic torch at the end of its final bull

the in Scotland. From Stranraer to Shetland, this Lane has crossed the

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Thank you for joining us. The sunshine has come out on this

historic occasion as we celebrate the Olympic flame was back first

ever visit to Scotland. It rescheduled to be here in about 20

minutes' time. Listen to that noise. For those of you who waited for the

fit all, we will be heading to the Ukraine later. -- football. If you

want to see the build up, you can find it online. With me as

Paralympics Correspondent. You have not managed to hold the flame. They

knew that something that began in such a small way we dent in this

arena. Mighty things from small beginnings crawl. That applies to

this Scottish leg. Who would have thought that when former school

teacher brought a tiny flame of the ferry, that this project would more

and coal. It has become increasingly clear that Scotland

has taken advantage of this once- in-a-lifetime opportunity. We are

witness to this famous Olympic torch. They have come out to

support in hundreds of thousands of are the last few days. Over the

last few days, more than 700 people, some from the world of art and

sport, have had the honour of carrying the torch. Our country has

provided a magnificent backdrop. It seemed that on kick-start for

the Olympic flame. How would the people take to London 2012 coming

to Scotland? What are you doing our best early in the morning? I am

here to see the Olympic torch. There is a lot more people than I

expected because it is so early. People are flying flags. Enjoy

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It is wonderful. A great experience. Who are these torch-bearers

carrying the torch for 300 yards and receiving all the applause?

Over 1,000 people are nominated by sponsors or connected to the

Olympics. The vast majority are ordinary Scots. Their nominated for

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all they have achieved in gathering 4, 3, 2, 1. This is the best thing

So am truly inspirational images. For those of a certain vintage, and

night in Moscow in 1980 lives long in the memory. Let us take a look.

Wells is doing well. Gold medal is awarded to Alan Wells. The man

himself is here with us. One of Scotland was my greatest Olympians,

Alan Wells. It has to be set we're having a few sound problems. We

will try to master it. Watching that, you were turning your head

away, yet he does it bring it all back to you? It brings back great

memories. It certainly gives me a cold shiver when I see ma go

skimming like that. I was expecting you to come with you blind tonight.

Do you have your medal? I have it. That is an amazing piece of gold to

have with you. We will be talking to you later about more score. As

we have er, it is about gold medals. The story of the torch is also

about the people who have carried it. Let us take a look at one

One of the first people to carry the torch and Scotland was someone

with a unique way of fund-raising. We are raising money for charities.

They want to get a defibrillator into every village on the island.

That would be �1,500 per day fibber later. -- per machine. Like many

torch-bearers, this woman's background is in deeds, not sport.

I do not think it was as beggars what it was at first. As time went

on, I realised what a massive thing it was. I am not a runner. There is

that side of it. How I managed to do 300 yards without collapsing...

Even though it was six and the morning, she managed the brief job

for the people of Stranraer. I am the only person from Ireland to is

doing it. It will do a lot of good for the community. -- from the

On Orkney, this man was nominated to carry the torch for all his work

helping others in the island community. He helped set the tables

for all meals. He held serve cups of tea when people come in. After

they have had a chat, Sean helps so -- held serve the main meal. In

between that, he has given for a lot of pressure. -- pleasure.

well as volunteering at the Salvation Army, Sean is heavily

involved in restoration projects. Because of all the different

experiences he has had, he can sure what the people with Down's

syndrome can do. It is just another thing that, his view of life,

carrying the torch is something special. We sometimes have to get

him back up with a general life but when I saw him running with the

torch, smiling and waving, he was just the same as any other torch-

I am joined by a special guest. This is the chair of sports

Scotland. She is vice-chair of it organising committee for the 2014

Commonwealth Games. Runners through the motions from earlier. I carried

the torch and St Andrews. It was very moving. It was very emotional.

Words cannot express what you feel inside. My legs are shaking even

now. It is fantastic. You can see the reception. What kind of

reception did you get and how did it make you feel? I certainly got a

fantastic welcome. Everyone was out at seven -- 7 o'clock in the

morning. What do you think this event can do for Scotland? We have

got 24 athletes in the Olympic Games, 60 Natalie's qualified for

the Paralympic Games. What they learn down there and bring back

four Commonwealth Games in 2014, we are in a win-win situation.

story has been about Scotland and the magnificent scenery, it has

also been about some of the very special people chosen to carry the

Nominated to carry the torch on the Isle of Lewis, was the lady who

instigated their charity fun run. It was based on the Race For Life.

We do not have a big enough population to justify a doing a

real Race For Life. Kirsty one three Commonwealth gold medals and

raced in two Olympics. It is a very different it experience. The

Olympics is all about performance and you do not see the bigger

picture of the enthusiasm it brings to a whole nation. For 0.20 in the

morning. 20 years of a gap, Kirsty added to her Olympic experience.

The closure of an Aberdeen workshops for blind and disabled

people... Management will meet on Friday and a expected to begin

widening the business... And a short space of time, the business

was transformed. It is down to a global businessman. He freely gives

his time and expertise. We had hard times and had to be closed down. We

get lots of support from different periods. The following year, we

were able to get a factory reopened Andrey employee all the disabled

people who wanted their jobs back. I do not know what I had -- if I

could have slept at night if we had not offered everyone a job. It is a

great honour. It is a one-off opportunity and a privilege. I

enjoy and relishing every single second of it. I hope that the

journey the torch makes inspires people to take an interest in sport,

to look at young athletes appearing and say, I can do that. If you look

at those athletes, at some point in their youth, they were all

similarly inspired by some person or some event. This is the kind of

event that had -- could have that The Olympic flame is not too far

away, there we can see the torch- bearers, thrilled to be part of

this wonderful pageant. Louise Martin, you know exactly what it

feels like to carry that flame, don't you? It just brings it all

back after this morning. Once you get the flame it is so moving. But

it is their enthusiasm of their public, wanting to touch it and

stroke it which is so moving. Tens of thousands of people are

lining the streets of Edinburgh, and elsewhere in Scotland, all

Scotland has come out to support this. This is what I expected from

Scotland. Everybody said, perhaps we will not get too many, but they

have done us proud. Superb, absolutely terrific.

To give you any idea of roughly where we are, that is a bird's eye

view. We are entering the final leg of the torch. The carrier Lesley

Forrest walk make her way into their Esplanade. We have seen

tremendous scenes of enthusiasm. If you were a young athlete preparing

for the gains itself, what difference would this make to you?

-- for the Olympic Games. This is phenomenal -- phenomenal.

You can only run well under this circumstance. This is Olympic gold

amiss here. What is it about the Olympics,

because since you're Kate -- since you days, not so long will call, --

not so long ago... Descend is dreadful. The Olympics still have

that very special sort of magic. Why is it so special? For the

Olympics is an iconic event, it is a once-in-a-lifetime in this

country, and anybody that gets a chance to do this is honoured. They

can only go for a word and excel themselves in this atmosphere, it

is just incredible. What we are seeing at the moment is

Lesley Forrest at making her way up the cobbled streets. She is doing

the final leg four hours of this last part of their the torch

journey. You had no idea that the television

cameras were actually capturing her very vocal support. I had never

seen Margot screening as badly as that. I think that it was emotional,

she was very emotional about the event. I was enjoying myself, but

she was suffering the pressure of somebody that felt, and was trying

to do for me what I was trying to feel and do. It was very sad in a

way that she had to take a lot more pressure than I understood.

A but that was during the golden era for Scottish athletics. I know

you are still a little bit involved. What is the situation? To be have

any hope so up and coming two there is always hope. Scottish athletics

are supporting afflicts in every way that they can. -- supporting

athletes. I am involved in a very small way, that any help that I can

give is obviously for the better. Scottish athletics are doing

everything that they can at the moment. With this sort of support,

moving towards London 2012, how much of a spur will this be for

athletes for 2014? I think this is a stepping stone, for Glasgow, this

will get everybody into a good frame of mind for Glasgow. It can

only be successful in Glasgow. But the public will be looking at six s

in medals. And of course, homes are poor it

always makes a difference -- home supporter always makes the

difference. When I was wearing a British vest there was also win the

Scottish best, I was very proud to wear the British vest and having

support like this, in the situation in London, and then two years later

in Glasgow, my voice has gone... But it is unbelievable. The song

has ended and the torch is nearing us. What can you see? I can see

that tens of thousands of people here on Esplanade. I can also see

54-year-old Lesley Forrest from Edinburgh. What an honour for her.

She will get to light the Olympic cauldron here in the historic

centre of historic old Edinburgh. She will, and they Esplanade very

sharply and is just milking the applause from the tens of thousands

of people who have been lining the streets outside Edinburgh Castle,

right across Edinburgh, and beyond. We have seen these scenes of

support repeated right across the country. Hundreds of thousands of

Scots have cured the Olympic flame along its way across the last six

days -- have cheered. We're building up to a crescendo here at

Edinburgh Castle. That is building, what a reception. It will be a very

emotional thing for her. She will enjoy every single minute of it.

She will enjoy this, this is really special. Can you pick your finger

on just why this has captured the imagination of the Scottish people,

because we did wonder if Scotland would buy into the Olympics.

media have been fantastic, they have got behind the whole thing and

we have really sold it, but it is word of mouth as well. People do

not understand that it is the flame that moves on, we keep the torch is

here, and that has been overwhelming. And I suppose it is

how we keep this momentum going, how we build on this. It will be

fascinating to see how Scotland becomes more involved as we get

towards the Olympics and the Olympic football at Hampden.

think what we see you tonight, I would not be surprised if we see

the hand and tickets going in the next few days. -- the hand and

tickets. She is getting ever closer, Lesley Forrest, she is the 608

Scottish torch-bearer. It has travelled through 97 Scottish

communities, and Lesley Forrest, who had a kidney transplant, and is

now there are multiple British and world transplant Games medallist,

is approaching their Esplanade. She is loving every moment, and no

wonder. You could almost be in tears for this, it is so exciting.

That is absolutely tremendous. There is a tear welling in her eye,

just why are you so emotional? means so much to have all the

people here and everybody in Scotland backing this. We had the

support for our athletes as the going to the Olympics in London and

they can only do their best. This will be fantastic for us. You can

hear the reception from 10,000 people here. They famous Olympic

flame, that was let it from Olympia in Greece, makes its way towards

the stage here at Edinburgh Castle. An embrace for Lesley Forrest, who

cannot quite believe what she is doing. She is a little piece of

Scottish history. But she comes the last few final steps, towards the

Olympic cauldron. Lesley Forrest is R'n'B. She has been awarded an --.

She is about to light the Olympic Cauldon, here at the historic

Lesley Forrest, what a moment! I spoke un dues said that you would

enjoy this moment and take your time, and he certainly did. What

was going through your mind? I was overwhelmed by the number of people

here, it is very exciting and I think the whole of Edinburgh has

turned out today. It has been amazing from Broxburn right the way

through. The last few hundred yards when a bit lonely, you came through

the tunnel and he had no idea that this awaited you. It was a bit of a

surprise, it was like arriving at a surprise party. And what a party!

What you do to keep fit? I go swimming and the athletics and do a

bit of soon does sometimes. This is a particularly sweet moment for do.

Tell us your story. I never thought that I would be in this position. I

had a kidney transplant in 1996 and through the love of somebody else,

they actually gave me a second chance of life, and I just try to

fill every day. I compete at the British transplant Games and the

World transplant Games. And so, I would just like to say, a special

mention to all those people who carry donor cards and to those

donor families out there, because I would just not be here on without

them. You are certainly a credit to them. Let us hear it one more time

for our final torch carrier who has Fantastic scenes at Edinburgh

Castle. What you make of that? was unbelievable. She deserves

everything she got today. For her to stand up there like that after

coming in with all those people there, I take my hat off to her.

Wonderful scenes here. The Olympic flame brazen -- burns brightly. 44

days until that flame is lit on the Olympic stadium in London. How do

you see the next few weeks panning out in terms of Scottish engagement

and in terms of the Commonwealth Games? One of the things we're

doing is that a lot of our people are going down to London on an

observer programme to learn. One of the things we will get for our

athletes, we will have a lot more athletes being selected between now

and the games. Our support staff are starting to work with them and

they will be able to come back and do a lot more. We keep saying that

London is our test event for Glasgow. You have kept your cards

close to your chest. Is there anyone who has carried that torch

who has come out to see the Olympic flame, what will they take away

from the experience? They will take pride in being part of an -- of

fantastic experience. Some of them may have touched it, carried it,

but what has -- what that has done, they will remember it. It will make

a big difference to everyone. Scottish athletes will be planning

to perform at the best of their abilities, what kind of support

they will get up here in Scotland given what we have seen with the

Olympic flame? With all the extremes that have been going on in

all major cities, with all people who might not be able to goal, they

will all be watching. They will all have their own parties to watch

their own athletes. They are carrying that with them. It has

been a remarkable they. Quite a remarkable few days. What is the

most memorable thing for you? morning. The most memorable bit for

me it was on my own, coming over the links at St Andrews. I have

never done that before and will never do it again. It was a

beautiful clear morning. A fantastic. Thank you.

It was a remarkable moment. You're Montes coming tomorrow. You're

doing a leg. I am looking forward to it. By my reckoning, you can do

100 metres in 10 seconds, so for 300 metres, 30 seconds. The tell me