Relief and tales of terror as stranded Scots arrive home from Middle East

Scots who were stranded in Dubai during attacks from Iran have told how they feared for their lives before they finally managed to get home.

More than 300 people returned to Scotland on an Emirates airline flight which touched down at Edinburgh Airport on Wednesday evening.

Some described watching missiles flying overhead and hearing explosions, while one couple told how they checked out of their hotel just hours before it was hit.

Thousands of travellers are still stuck in the Middle East after the US and Israel launched attacks on Iran, prompting retaliatory strikes across the region.

Victoria Cameron, from Larkhall, had been travelling home from New Zealand via Dubai when flights in the Middle East were grounded.

On Saturday she was queuing to get into her hotel when the first Iranian missiles struck the city.

She thought the first one looked like a firework, then realised it was something far more serious.

"The third one came above us and we started screaming," she said.

"Then the staff said 'run, run, leave your suitcases'. They rushed us all to the side of the hotel.

"Our phones were going off, saying 'emergency, emergency'. We were crying, we were shaking."

Earlier her scheduled flight home had been cancelled just 15 minutes before it was due to take off.

She had to abandon her luggage as the airport was evacuated and airline staff "disappeared".

"I've been wearing these clothes since Saturday. I just want to get home and have a cup of tea," she said.

Andy Crow and Jean Weir from Glasgow told how they had been staying at the five star Fairmont Hotel, but checked out just a couple of hours before it was hit by a missile.

When they arrived at the airport they discovered their flight was delayed, then cancelled completely.

"It was absolutely atrocious," said Andy.

"There was no organisation, there was nothing. We tried to get hold of staff - there was no staff at all."

The couple were finally able to get back into a hotel nine hours later but their ordeal was not yet over.

Jean said: "We had gone to bed and were sleeping when this siren went off in the bedroom.

"It was the phone and we were told in a message we were under attack. That was terrifying."

Andy added: "We looked out of the window and saw the missiles crossing over the top. Then we heard about four blasts quite near the hotel and the vibration.

"I was texting somebody, then another two explosions occurred."

The arrivals hall at Edinburgh Airport saw many emotional reunions with worried friends or family members.

Ashleigh McLean had travelled from the Borders with her nine-year-old son Hayden to welcome home her dad Kevin who had been stranded in Dubai while journeying home from Australia.

He told of hearing explosions but counted himself luckier than others because the blasts were far away from his hotel.

"I was speaking to a couple on the flight that was stuck in a basement of their hotel so they had to sleep in there."

Kevin said he was "chuffed to bits" to see his daughter and grandson waiting for him and, wearing his Celtic top, said he was looking forward to enjoying the normality of life back on Scottish soil.

"I can go and watch football now - does anybody know what the score is?" he asked.