Sochi’s Scottish Team GB curlers bring medals home

David Murdoch greets wife Stephanie. Picture: Ian Rutherford

CHEERING crowds waving Saltires and Union flags welcomed home the medal winning all-Scottish Team GB curlers last night, when they arrived back in Scotland.

As a piper played Scotland the Brave, skipper David Murdoch proudly led the mens’ silver medal-winning Winter Olympics team, as the athletes landed at Edinburgh airport.

Eve Muirhead and the women’s team, who won bronze, followed seconds later.

Family members rushed forward to be reunited with the sports stars and to admire the silver and bronze medals.

Describing the welcome, Murdoch said: “When I saw all the people waiting there for us I just went ‘oh, my goodness, they’re here for us’. It was quite humbling. It’s great to be back on Scottish soil and you just can’t beat the pipes. It’s just so hard to comprehend.

“When we were at Sochi we were in a sort of bubble and all the time there was this real buzz going on at home.”

Meanwhile, Muirhead, swamped by dozens of fans asking for autographs, said: “We are in a dream. Everywhere we go people are asking us about curling.”

Among the well-wishers was 91-year-old Vi Miller, grandmother of curler Anna Sloan. Mrs Miller, who had travelled from Lockerbie, said: “I’m thrilled to bits to see all of them. They’ve done so well, both boys and girls.”

Women’s team member, Claire Hamilton, said: “The whole country seems gripped by curling. I never thought I’d be standing in Downing Street.”

Shona Robison, Commonwealth Games and sport minister, said: “Well done guys. You really got me into trouble with the presiding officer at the Scottish Parliament because we’re not supposed to tweet and I was tweeting about what was going on in Sochi.”