50,000 turn out to hail Scotland's Olympic bravehearts

0 Comments | AFP, August, 2008

EDINBURGH (AFP) — A massive crowd of 50,000 well-wishers filed into the Scottish capital on Wednesday to roll out the red carpet for the country's Olympic heroes.

Triple gold winner Chris Hoy was joined by Ross Edgar, Katherine Grainger and David Florence for the special open-top bus parade down the city's historic Royal Mile.

Saltires and smiling faces were the order of the day as the procession made its way from Edinburgh Castle, where a reception for the Olympians was held, down to Holyrood Park.

"It means so much to be home but also to see how warm the reception has been and how much interest there has been," Hoy said. "We had no idea in the (Olympic) village just what was going on."

Hoy, 32, became the first Briton for 100 years to win three...