On day 26 of the national relay which has seen the Olympic flame go literally from Land’s End to Shetland and ending in London at the start of the 2012 Olympics, the torch and the flame stopped off in Edinburgh after a tour of Scotland, and Edinburgh can be proud to say we bade a very Scottish farewell to the flame, even the weather came out to support the greatest show on earth.
The flame will pass through Musselburgh and the borders tomorrow before re-entering England en route ultimately to the Olympic opening ceremony in London. It is part of one of the most comprehensive tours the flame has undergone, with organisers boasting that 95% of Britain’s people were within an hours journey of the flame. The flame was carried in its final leg up to the castle by Lesley Forrest.
The streets were lined with people from around 5pm until the flame arrived at around 7:20 for a full reception at the castle, the location where the Edinburgh Tattoo is usually held. Over 6,000 free tickets were given away for the event at the castle but many more lined the streets, windows and rooftops along the route.
The sunshine and the massive turnout added to the festival atmosphere on George IV bridge and Castle Hill, with people drinking and talking jovially. Flags were waving all along the route, satires greatly outnumbering Union flags, this reporter also glimpsed French and Brazilian colours flying for the flame. The international appeal of the flame and the Olympics is something Paul Deighton, chief executive of the London Olympics Organising Committee was keen to state, saying that the Olympics was a rare opportunity to show the world what Britain can do, both in the arena and in bringing people to the streets.
With the sun burning down on the spectacular castle venue, the crowds were whipped into excitement before the arrival of the flame by a series of entertainers and festivities including Glasgow chart-topper Emeli Sande. Allan Wells, Olympic 100 metres gold medallist in Moscow 1980 said that the excitement brought to Edinburgh with the flame was encouraging, and hopes the Olympic spirit inspires a generation of Brits to take up sport.
