Communities across Scotland have remained silent in remembrance of those who have lost their lives in conflicts across the world.

In Edinburgh, Prime Minister John Swinney was joined by veterans and the city’s Lord Provost to lay a wreath on the Stone of Remembrance outside the City Chambers.

Rallies also took place in Glasgow, at the George Square war memorial and in Morayshire at Grantown-on-Spey.

Elsewhere, buildings were lit up in red and decorated with poppies as a sign of respect before the traditional two minutes of silence at 11:00 a.m.

Earlier, Swinney told the story of his uncle, Cpl Tom Hunter, who was posthumously awarded the Victoria Cross after dying at Lake Comacchio in Italy a few months before the end of the Second World War. in an article on.

Alongside an image, he cited the Bible verse John 15:13: “Greater love has no one than this.”

The shot fired from Edinburgh Castle marked the beginning of the traditional silence.

The Revd George J Whyte, Acting Moderator at St Giles Cathedral, led a brief service of remembrance.

At the ceremony in Edinburgh, Swinney said it was a chance for generations of Scots to honor those who “paid the ultimate price” in conflicts across the world.

“My uncle gave his life to protect his colleagues and comrades,” he told BBC Scotland News.

“My grandmother lost her son and cried until the day he died and my mother felt the same, so on this Remembrance Sunday I am thinking especially of the sacrifice he made and of the family, who cried for him every day of his life.

“It is essential to our understanding of our freedoms and our democracy today that we understand the sacrifices that were made by previous generations to ensure that we can live in the type of society in which we live.”

He added: “That’s because people paid the ultimate price in World War I and World War II to secure our freedom and in many other wars since then.

“We must remember, especially in the modern world, where conflicts rage around us, of the significant sacrifices that have been made for our freedoms. »

In George Square in Glasgow, mourners joined veterans and current military personnel in laying wreaths, with a guard of honor presented by representatives of the Royal Navy.

A band comprising members of the Royal Marine Band, Royal Corps of Signals Pipes and Drums and Police Scotland and the Federation Pipe Band provided the arrangements and sound for The Last Post.

Meanwhile, Kelvinside Academy was lit up in a red glow in memory of the 177 former pupils who lost their lives during the First and Second World Wars.

A display featuring the silhouette of a soldier and poppies designed by the students was also placed outside the school building.

In London, SNP Westminster leader Stephen Flynn joined Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer and leaders of other UK parties to lay wreaths at the Cenotaph in Whitehall.

King Charles, the Prince and Princess of Wales and other royals also attended the event, but Queen Camilla was absent as she recovers from a lung infection .

The Princess of Wales looked on from the balcony of the nearby Foreign Office in her first public appearance following her recent cancer treatment.

Eight former prime ministers; Also in attendance were Sir John Major, Sir Tony Blair, Gordon Brown, Lord Cameron, Baroness May, Boris Johnson, Liz Truss and Rishi Sunak.

Meanwhile, army veteran Derek “Benny” Bennett called on those observing a period of remembrance on Sunday or Monday to pay tribute to those who served in lesser-known conflicts.

Mr Bennett, 72, served actively in Northern Ireland at the height of the Troubles, served on a peacekeeping mission in Cyprus and as a liaison officer during the Gulf War.

He is originally from Shotton, north Wales, but now lives in a home run by veterans’ charity Erskine in Edinburgh.

He said the “scars” people experience from serving in “less talked about places” are just as real as those caused by well-publicized conflicts.

“It is crucial that we remember not only the great wars like the Second World War, the Falklands, Afghanistan or Iraq, but also all the conflicts and peacekeeping missions which do not always make the one of the newspapers,” he said.

“I know people who have suffered, and I know firsthand that the scars – whether visible or invisible – are just as real for those who served in less talked about places.

“The impact on those who were there is the same, and their sacrifices deserve the same respect and remembrance.”