Free concert at the Castle to welcome Olympic torch
The news of the concert, to be given by a yet-to-be-named top Scottish act, came as hundreds of Scots were picked as torch- bearers to carry the Olympic flame across the country.
The relay will coincide with the show at Edinburgh Castle on 13 June, with about 7,500 tickets being given away for the cele-bration to mark the arrival of the Olympic flame in Scotland’s capital.
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Hide AdConcert organiser City of Edinburgh Council confirmed that other attractions at the event will include entertainment for children, as well as non-musical performances.
Meanwhile, nearly 800 Scots who have overcome life-threatening illnesses or completed major challenges have been invited to carry the flame near their homes during the eight-day tour of Scotland starting on 8 June.
The flame will arrive in Stranraer after its tour of Northern Ireland and will be carried on to Glasgow before heading around the rest of the country, taking in locations such as Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee, St Andrews, the Borders, Inverness, Orkney, Shetland and the Western Isles.
Parachute Regiment reservist James Watt, from Edinburgh, who has served in Iraq and Afghanistan, is among those invited to take part in recognition of his work in raising funds for military charities.
Father-of-two Mr Watt, an accident and emergency support worker, recently completed the Edinburgh marathon wearing a parachute to raise funds for causes such as the Parachute Regiment Afghanistan Trust, a charity for servicemen and servicewomen injured in the conflict.
Mr Watt, who also trains new reservist recruits, said: “It’s a monumental thing to be chosen to carry the Olympic flame. I’m very proud to be a part of this year’s Olympics. It really is a once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.”
Teenager John Beaton, who has suffered illnesses such as glue ear and Asperger’s, was nominated as a torchbearer for his work as a Scout leader that saw him organise 100 Scouts to carry flags at Murrayfield stadium ahead of a Calcutta Cup clash with England.
The 19-year-old, who works in Edinburgh council’s economic development department, is also a former member of the Scottish Youth Parliament.
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Hide AdHe said: “I have followed the Olympics since I was a small child and have been excited about the Games coming to London since we won the bid in 2005.
“Being an Olympic torch- bearer is a great honour, and one I hope I can carry it out to an exemplary standard for all those people who find it difficult in life because they have some form of disability, whether it is learning-related or physical.”
An average of 115 torch-bearers a day will carry the Olympic flame during its 8,000-mile journey around the UK before it arrives in London on 27 July for the opening ceremony.
The Scottish leg in detail
View the map online at www.london2012.com/olympictorchrelay