SIR CHRIS Hoy described being awarded the Freedom of the City of Edinburgh as the biggest honour of his life.
The greatest British Olympian of all time joined the exclusive club – which counts Nelson Mandela and Sir Sean Connery amongst its few members – when he was presented with the accolade after yesterday’s parade.
Hoy, who dressed for the occasion by donning a kilt, said: “This is the biggest honour I have ever had.”
The six-time Olympic medallist, who spoke of his delight at having received praise from his hero, Gavin Hastings, said: “To be mentioned alongside such incredible names – Charles Dickens, Samuel Pepys, Winston Churchill – it blows me away.
“Today was a day I will never forget, to see so many people coming out to support the team. We had a parade in London, a parade in Edinburgh, but when it’s your home town it just means so much more.
“Edinburgh has to be, in my eyes, the greatest city in the world, so to come back home and have this reception and to have this kind of welcome is fantastic.”
Hoy, who said there was a “little bit more life” in his legs, added: “It’s two years to the Commonwealth Games and that would be the perfect end to my career.”
Former scout hall damaged in blaze
A FORMER scout hall was badly damaged by fire early today.
Twenty-one firefighters were needed to tackle the blaze at the derelict two-storey building in Kirk Street, Prestonpans, which broke out soon after 1.30am.
Part of the building collapsed during the fire and structural engineers were due to inspect the property later today.
In a separate incident, a 44-year-old man was rescued by police from his flat in Loanhead after the cooker caught fire just after 8pm on
Saturday. The blaze in a ground-floor property of the three-storey building at Kennington Avenue was extinguished by fire crews.
The man was treated by an ambulance crew at the scene and did not need to go to hospital.
Firefighters also dealt with a fire at Ark housing, off the High Street, in East Linton, at around 11.35pm last night after smoke was reported coming from a roof space. The three-storey premises were unoccupied and it is thought they were under
development.