London Daily

Focus on the big picture.
Wednesday, Oct 21, 2026

Pipers and silence mark Scotland's moment of reflection

Pipers and silence mark Scotland's moment of reflection

Scotland joined the UK-wide tribute to the Queen on Sunday evening, ahead of her state funeral on Monday.

The national moment of reflection took place at 20:00.

People were encouraged to observe a one-minute silence to remember the Queen, privately at home, on their doorstep or street, or at community events and vigils.

Scotland had several events planned to mark the moment and the monarch's great affection for the country.

At Westminster, Big Ben tolled to start the beginning of the national moment of reflection before being struck once more at 20:01 as it ended.

But laments were already marked by lone pipers at several locations north of the border.

At 18:00 they played The Immortal Memory at four sites:

*  Dornoch - Cathedral Green

*  Fort William - War Memorial, The Parade

*  Inverness - Inverness Town House

*  Portree - Somerled Square

Piper Willie Fraser played the lament at Cathedral Green in Dornoch


Deputy First Minister John Swinney took to the steps of the Scottish government's St Andrew's House in Edinburgh alongside cabinet members Angus Robertson, Ben Macpherson, Jenny Gilruth, and Lesley Fraser, the director general corporate.

He said: "The national moment of reflection has been a dignified way for many of us to pay our respects to the Queen, whether in our own homes or at public events, by observing a minute silence.

"In reflecting on Her Majesty's life and legacy, many of us have considered her long and valued service to the nation and the respect and admiration she had for the people of Scotland.

"These feelings were reciprocated, and will remain long after we pay our final respects to the Queen as part of tomorrow's state funeral."

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon is in London to attend the state funeral on Monday.

Deputy First Minister John Swinney and other ministers at St Andrews house


A larger "service of reflection" took place at The Kelpies in Falkirk.

The ceremony saw 96 lanterns - one for each year of the Queen's life - being lit and lowered into the Kelpies pool of reflection.

Local wreaths were floated in the water and lone piper Euan Thomson played 'A Salute to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II'.

The event was led by former Moderator, Very Rev Martin Fair and incorporated the national silence.

The Queen and Prince Philip had visited the a new section of the Queen Elizabeth II Canal in July 2017, built as part of the £43m Helix project.

Its focal point is the internationally-acclaimed, 30m (98ft) high Kelpies sculptures.

The Kelpies service saw 96 lanterns floated on the pool of reflection


Catherine Topley, chief executive of Scottish Canals told BBC Scotland: "It is fitting we hold the remembrance here. The Queen and her family have been known to visit the canals and in 2017 she opened the Queen Elizabeth II canal.

"So it's a tribute to her tonight, taking a moment to reflect and remember our Queen."

In Braemar - which was at the centre of the early mourning events - a short ceremony was held including a lone piper who played The Flowers of the Forest - the tune played at the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral.

In Braemar, a piper played the same tune performed at the Duke of Edinburgh's funeral


Local resident Colin Hunter said: "I think people will do different things this evening, some will want to be at home with their families, but we thought with the links of the community to the royal family, the Royal Highland Society here which runs the annual games and the community council thought it appropriate to allow the villagers to get together for that important moment.

"Our memories as a village very much relate to the gathering. We have pictures going back 80-90 years of her attending.

"Others have personal memories because they have worked at Balmoral or met the Queen either formally or informally because it was quite common for us to bump into her."

Rev Mark E Johnstone has led a service at Glasgow Cathedral


In Glasgow, Rev Mark E Johnstone began a Service of Preparation at Glasgow Cathedral ahead of the silence.

He said: "It weighs heavily on our hearts and minds and within this ancient building we have the opportunity to reflect and prepare ourselves as we, with a nation, engage through the mystery of worship in what it means to give thanks and lay to rest."

Scottish Secretary Alister Jack paid tribute to the Queen after the national moment of reflection, and said the past few days had shown how much she "meant to people in Scotland".

"From Balmoral all the way to Edinburgh, Scots turned out in droves to pay their respects, give thanks for the Queen's lifetime of service and mourn her passing," he said.

"Tomorrow will be a day of unbearable sadness for our nation as Her Majesty is laid to rest. Our thoughts will be with our new King, Charles III, and the rest of the royal family."

Tennis Fans at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow fell silent for a minute at the Davis Cup group D match between Great Britain and Kazakhstan.

An image was beamed on the big screen as the moment was marked.

Tennis Fans at the Emirates Arena in Glasgow fell silent for a minute at the Davis Cup group D match between Great Britain and Kazakhstan


In Edinburgh, a brief service was held before the silence at Canongate Kirk on the Royal Mile.

Emily Cowan's stone tribute can be seen on the flight path to Cumbernauld Airport


The Scottish government said that communities groups, clubs and other organisations across Scotland were also encouraged to take part.

Emily Cowan from Allandale, near Bonnybridge, put together her own tribute at her workplace, CED Stone Scotland.

She used different aggregates and pebbles to make a 4.8m (15.7ft) by 3.2m (10.5ft) picture of the Queen's profile on the roof of an office building which can be seen on the flight path to Cumbernauld Airport.


National minute's silence held to remember the Queen


Newsletter

Related Articles

0:00
0:00
Close
Housebuilding Across Scotland Plummets to Eleven-Year Low Despite Government Pledges to Tackle National Housing Emergency
Greggs Announces Factory Closures Across Northern England and Scotland Affecting Seven Hundred Forty Jobs
United Kingdom and Singapore Conclude Eleventh Financial Dialogue in Singapore to Deepen Cooperation on Digital Finance and Capital Markets
Energy Security and Net Zero Committee Urges Government to Shift Policy Costs to Gas Bills and Tap Windfall Profits to Lower Consumer Prices
British Broadcasting Corporation Announces Major Cost-Cutting Overhaul to Close Linear Broadcast Services for Television Channels BBC Three and BBC Scotland Alongside Digital Radio Station BBC Radio Four Extra
London Capital Markets Face Renewed Scrutiny After High-Profile Offerings Underperform Post-Listing
Green Party Wins Historic First Westminster Parliamentary By-Election in Gorton and Denton
Environment Secretary Emma Reynolds Unveils Sweeping Regulatory Overhaul for English Water Industry
United Kingdom Health Security Agency Confirms Thirty-Four Cases in Kent Meningitis Outbreak
Ministry of Defence Prepares Heat Pump Subsidy Cuts to Fund Urgent Military Modernization
British and European Union Officials Schedule Long-Awaited Bilateral Leaders Summit for November Twentieth
Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey Urges Strict Fiscal Credibility to Protect British Bond Markets
United Kingdom Inflation Rises to Three Point One Percent Driven by Escalating Fuel Costs
Profit Warnings Among London-Listed Companies Reach Two-Year High Amid Global Energy Shocks
Chancellor John Healey Signals Targeted Tax Changes on Banks and London Corporate Offices Ahead of Budget
British Government Reallocates Twenty-Five Per Cent of International Climate Finance to Global Biodiversity Projects
Initial British Carbon Border Taxes Set to Undercut Parallel European Union Tariffs on Industrial Imports
Whitehall Prepares National Zero-Interest Loan Initiative to Accelerate Domestic Heat Pump and Solar Adoption
European Union Offers British Automakers Access to Hybrid Vehicle Trade Protections Subject to Strict Regulatory Alignment
British Probation Officers Threaten Widespread Industrial Action After Rejecting Five Per Cent Government Pay Offer
Microsoft Abandons Major British Artificial Intelligence Data Centre Citing Severe National Grid Power Constraints
United Kingdom Inflation Accelerates to Three Point Four Per Cent Ahead of Chancellor John Healey's Inaugural Autumn Budget
Surging Cloned Number Plates Severely Complicate Traffic Enforcement and Police Investigations
Mounting Opposition Challenges Planned Rollout of Autonomous Taxis Across London
Influential Think Tank Urges Rejoining European Union to Navigate Geopolitical Crises
Government Review Recommends Slashing Benefits to Fund Youth Employment Initiatives
Senior Minister Shabana Mahmood Seeks New Law Enforcement Pact With European Union
Airbus Executive Warns Britain Risks Losing Crucial Role in European Space Industry
Exorbitant Electricity Costs Push British Steelmakers to Worst Competitive Position in Three Years
British Food and Beverage Exports to European Union Collapse by Over a Third Since Brexit
Up to Twenty English Maternity Units Face Impending Closure Due to Safety and Staffing Crises
Government Declares Severe Drought Across Southern England Following Record Dry Spell
Corporate Profit Warnings Reach Two-Year High Amid Middle East Conflict and Rising Costs
International Monetary Fund Warns Chancellor John Healey Against Proposed Bank Tax Raid
Northern Ireland Secures Favorable Agricultural Export Agreement with European Union
Scottish Government Approves Major Offshore Floating Wind Farm Near Aberdeenshire
High Speed Two Rail Project Faces Three Billion Pound Cost Escalation on Initial Phase
National Health Service Warns of Winter Capacity Crisis Across English Hospitals
Tata Steel Confirms Two Thousand Job Cuts at Port Talbot to Fund Green Transition
Global Microchip Developer Announces Three Billion Pound Semiconductor Plant in Cambridge
United Kingdom Artificial Intelligence Safety Institute Proposes Mandatory Licensing for Generative Models
United Kingdom Commits Additional Long-Range Weapons and Air Defenses to Ukraine
British Chancellor Overhauls Infrastructure Financing to Bypass Borrowing Constraints
Bank of England Holds Benchmark Interest Rate at Four Point Five Percent
First Minister Rhun ap Iorwerth Confirms Constitutional Discussions Over Welsh Independence During Initial Bilateral Call with Prime Minister
Labour Party Instructs Local Council Groups to Sever Power-Sharing Accords with Green Party Over New Controversial Policy Positions
Institute for Fiscal Studies Warns of Thirty-Five Billion Pound Fiscal Gap Ahead of Chancellor John Healey Upcoming Autumn Budget
House of Lords Backs Landmark Legislative Amendment to Decriminalize Abortion Across England and Wales
United Kingdom Defence Secretary Wes Streeting Travels to Pentagon for High-Level Strategic Talks Amid Escalating Tensions Over Ukraine and United States Policy Shifts
Bank of England and International Monetary Fund Officials Issue Urgent Warnings Regarding Potential Artificial Intelligence Financial Market Shocks
×