Caithness provides warm welcome for Olympic Flame

A crowd of more than 1,500 turned up at John O’Groats on Sunday to welcome the Olympic Flame to the most northerly location on mainland Britain.  The event began at 4.30 pm when the Caithness Junior Pipe Band piped the crowd who had attended the annual Caithness and Sutherland Vintage Car Rally down to the harbour area.

Local dancers and singers entertained the crowd for an hour before The Highland Council’s Caithness Civic Leader Councillor Gail Ross welcomed the Olympic Flame to Caithness and introduced Olympic torchbearers Louis Mackinnon and Andrew Sinclair, both 18 and both from Wick, who  had carried the torches the previous day in Inverness.

Andrew ran with the lit torch to the John O’Groats signpost, where Louis was waiting to continue with the flame, displaying it to the waiting crowd.

Councillor Ross said: “We are so proud of Andrew and Louis for being chosen to carry the Olympic Torch. They must be the only people  to have had the honour of carrying the torch on two successive days.   I am thrilled that so many people have taken the time to turn out to welcome the flame.”