Olympic Torch makes its way across Old Course at St Andrews

THE Olympic Flame has been taken across the famous Swilcan Bridge on the Old Course in the home of golf, St Andrews.

• The torch will travel 145 miles today on route to Edinburgh Castle later

• 115 torchbearers will carry the flame past landmarks, including the Forth Bridge, Stirling Castle, the Wallace Monument and the Falkirk Wheel

The Swilcan Bridge dates back some 700 years and was originally built for shepherds herding their sheep over the Swilcan Burn that now winds through the first and 18th fairways.

The small stone bridge is now one of the most famous spots in the golfing world.

The flame formally departed from the town’s ancient university.

Today’s procession marks the 26th day of the torch’s marathon relay over the length and breadth of the UK.

On the way south, the torchbearers will pass through Milnathort, Kinross, Crook of Devon, Alloa, Bridge of Allan, Dunblane, Cumbernauld, Larbert, Camelon, Skinflats, Cairneyhill, Crossford, Dunfermline and Broxburn.

The torch will also visit Hopetoun House and the town of Broxburn, West Lothian, before veering towards Edinburgh.

It will travel along Slateford Road and Colinton Road, through Tollcross, towards Chambers Street, The Mound and the Royal Mile in the heart of the Old Town.

The evening celebration at Edinburgh Castle will feature a variety of entertainment.

Singer Emeli Sande will headline the evening’s events, which will also involve acrobatic performances, dance displays and community acts.

Towards the end of the two-hour show, the last torchbearer of the day, Lesley Forrest, will light a cauldron on stage.

Ms Forrest, 54, received a kidney transplant in 1996 and a year later started competing in the British Transplant Games as part of the Scottish team. She went on to become a multiple medallist in both the British and World Transplant Games.