Joy as worthy Scots finally get honours

High-profile names in Scottish sport, business, charity campaigns and military veterans have received honours from the Princess Royal at the Palace of Holyroodhouse.

The 115 people honoured were recognised over the last two years but were not able to receive their awards in person due to the ongoing pandemic.

Top golfer Catriona Matthew, who grew up in North Berwick, was one of the recipients at the ceremony in Edinburgh yesterday.

An “absolutely delighted” Matthew said her OBE brought back memories of her win at the Solheim Cup – a biennial golf tournament for professional women – at Gleneagles in 2019.

She said: “There are so many other people getting awards for all different fields, so for golf to be in there felt very special.”

Rose Reilly, a former professional footballer from East Ayrshire who played for Scotland and Italy, was made an MBE for her services to the women’s game.

The 67-year-old said: “It’s so emotional. I am so proud of myself, women’s football and I am proud for my wee village of Stewarton.”

She played for Reims as a teenager, and later joined ACF Milan, and was in the Italian national side which won the Mundialito, the precursor to the women’s World Cup, in 1984.

Elsewhere, Brigadier Clare Phillips, colonel of

career management operations at the Army’s Personnel Centre and co-chairwoman of the Army LGBT+ Network, was made a CBE. Olivia Strong, founder of Run For Heroes, a campaign which raised millions for the NHS during lockdown, collected her MBE, while Craig Thomson, a Scottish football referee for 30 years, was made an MBE.

AWARDS: Golfer Catriona Matthew was among 115 people to receive their honours.

Former footballer Rose Reilly collected her MBE.