THE procession of the Olympic flame survived its biggest test yesterday: the wind and rain of the west coast of Scotland.
The five-day procession across the country began in Stranraer just after 6am and, despite the unfriendly start time, half the town turned out to see it. And for most of the time, the rain stayed off.
The starting point was Castle Square where hundreds of people gathered. Some were holding home-made torches, many were waving, or wearing, Union Flags. A small group also held up the flags of some the nations taking part in the Games.
Then, at 6.10am, the long-awaited group appeared – and this was a torch with a lot of company. First, there were police motorcyclists, then police cars and vans, then two huge buses plastered with the logos of sponsors Coca-Cola and Samsung. On board the buses, staff danced and bounced up and down. Pretty impressive for 6am.
For some, all this brash sponsorship has spoiled the procession but local woman Caroline Morrison, 38, didn't think so. "It doesn't distract from what this is about," she said. "The Olympics is a great event and I'm just pleased the town has managed to be a part of it."
Further down the route, near some speakers blasting out the theme tune to Chariots of Fire, Scott Allan, 62, said he was pleased to see so many people turn out. "It brings the town together but I'm pleased to see these young people carrying the torch. They're role models."
One of them – the first to carry the torch in Scotland – was 21-year-old soldier Ross McClelland. Speaking just seconds after completing his stretch along Cairnryan Road, Mr McClelland, from Ayr, said it had been a wonderful experience holding the torch. "And I get to keep it," he said.
Mr McClelland has just returned from a tour of Afghanistan and some of his Army colleagues were among those who nominated him to take part in the procession. This year, alone, Ross has lost two good friends who served with him.
He said: "I was nominated by a few people, including some of my soldier friends, so I'm doing it for them.
"My sister also nominated me because I've been into running and she thought I'd be a good person to do it.
"I'm very proud to have held the torch today, especially as the first person in Scotland."
Just a few minutes later, the torch left Stranraer. In all the towns and villages up the A77, hundreds turned out, waving flags and cheering, although in Girvan there was a single protester: a man who stood holding up a banner that said: "£15bn down the drain."
All along the route, most of the torch bearers had stories of achievement to tell. In Maybole, where the torch arrived just before 9am, the procession included Olympic fencing hopeful Callum O'Donnell, 20, from Dunfermline, and Jim Montgomerie, 40, from Saltcoats, who has completed some of the world's toughest marathons and has raised more than £170,000 for charity.
One of the runners in Ayr, which was one of the busiest points on the route, was Sasha Ratcliffe, 37, who was asked to run an extra 300 metres at the last minute to meet the next runner. At each cross-over point, the runners perform the "torchbearer's kiss" in which the runner who has just completed their section holds their torch against the torch of the next runner to exchange the flame.
Ms Ratcliffe, who only took up running two years ago, said the atmosphere among the runners was superb. "We were all very nervous but we all came together. We knew how important it was and it was a humbling experience."
For her, the procession wasn't just about sport. "All the kids were out and the streets were lined with people. It's about the community coming together."
Next week, Ms Ratcliffe will be taking her unlit torch round schools in Ayr to show it to some of those children. It might even inspire a few future Olympians.
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