I WOULD like to thank all the pupils and staff at South Morningside Primary School who collectively raised the spirits of all of us who were lucky enough to pass their playground during their St Andrew’s Day celebration.

In turn each and every class danced their way to The Proclaimers’ 500 Miles. They were guided by their very fit teachers in delightful choreography, which could only have originated in Scotland. The joy on their faces lasted throughout the lung-challenging display and, as more and more of us gathered at the school railings to clap and appreciate their show, you could see they were dead chuffed!

Even the bus drivers and passing cars hooted their appreciation of what was going on behind the Saltire- and tartan-bedecked railings.

READ MORE: St Andrew's Day: Campaign hopes to spread a million words of kindness

The Lion Rampant flew by the main school gate and from every window of the school, a Saltire with a smiley face was beaming out onto the street. Every child was wearing something tartan from full kilt outfits to hairbands.

I truly could have stood and watched them dance all day, but the show had to end. Not only was it a glorious way to exercise, without a single coat, it brought dozens of strangers together on the street.

In these most challenging of times, and in the build-up to what will, for most of these children, be a very different festive season, I hope someone can be sure to tell them that they brought a little bit of magic to Morningside on a Monday morning. I look forward to the time when every school in Scotland celebrates and honours our patron saint in such beautiful ways.

Thank you from the bottom of my heart from a retired head of physical education. In all my years of teaching I have rarely witnessed such an appropriate and joyous spectacle.

I will always remember St Andrew’s Day 2020 and know The Proclaimers would have delighted in the use of our alternative national anthem. I just wish Charlie and Craig had witnessed it!

Jenny Pearson
Edinburgh

CITY of Edinburgh Council has established an Edinburgh Slavery and Colonialism Review Group but little is known about its composition apart from the chair, Sir Geoff Palmer.

He has already displayed hasty and questionable judgement by contributing towards the placement of a new information plaque at the foot of the Melville Monument which claims erroneously that the actions of Henry Dundas “contributed towards the enslavement of half a million Africans”. According to Scotland’s pre-eminent historian Professor Sir Tom Devine, “this assertion does not stand up to serious historical scrutiny”.

Can we therefore trust the work of the Review Group in this challenging and sensitive work? Does it include any historians of note who might insist on rigorous research and who have the ability to weigh the evidence and help with interpretation, or is it a small group of zealous councillors anxious to prove their credentials, at the expense of hard evidence?

R Melville
Edinburgh

MANY congratulations to David Pratt for his outstanding article “We need to think global now the eyes of the world are on Scotland” (National Extra, December 1). It is outward-looking and highlights the increased opportunities that independence will bring for Scotland to be involved internationally.

Our up-and-coming generations do not have a parochial outlook and many of them, who travel widely, will want to make a contribution to international development.

READ MORE: David Pratt: Scotland must think global in our fight for independence

During my career as a chartered quantity surveyor I had the opportunity to make an input to the development of my profession in west Africa and south-east Asia. I had the privilege of working for the UN in Nigeria. It was an exhilarating experience, especially when working with a number of different nationalities all committed to deliver a successful project, and something I will never forget. At times being the only white face in the group was another enlightening experience.

Following on from the work of Scottish missionaries such as David Livingstone and Mary (Ma) Slessor of Calabar, Scotland’s higher education institutions have a long and proud history of contributing to humanitarian projects in the developing countries. There are the ongoing projects to bring clean drinking water, sewage disposal systems and electricity and improve agricultural practice in many countries.

I would hope that an independent Scotland would concentrate its aid on humanitarian projects and refrain from supplying armaments – turn swords into ploughshares!

Thomas L Inglis
Fintry

A PRO-UNION “pretend” Scottish daily maintains on December 1 that our First Minister is “out of touch”. For once it has reported something absolutely true. She is out of touch – with the 20 % who rate BoJo as doing a god job, but very much in touch with the 80% who do not. That daily has been out of touch with mainstream Scottish opinion for too long and is frankly an affront to honest journalism.

J Hamilton
Bearsden