McRae is honoured in hall of fame

Colin McRae was World Rally Champion in 1995

Motor racing legend Colin McRae has been inducted into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame.

Former World Rally champion McRae, who died in a helicopter crash alongside his young son last September, is one of four new inductees.

Scotland's 1990 Grand Slam-winning captain David Sole was also honoured.

And Olympic swimmer Catherine Brown and disability sportswoman Isabel Newstead were recognised for their outstanding sporting achievements.

McRae, the son of five-times British rally champion Jimmy, wrote his name in the record books in 1995 when he became the first Briton to win the World Rally Championship.

Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon presided over the occasion at the National Museum of Scotland.

And Sturgeon said: "It is a fantastic privilege to be able to pay tribute to Catherine, Colin, David and Isabel.

"Honouring these sporting greats highlights our outstanding achievements as a nation and gives us a great opportunity to look back on the many champions that our country has produced.

It is a fantastic privilege to be able to pay tribute to Catherine, Colin, David and Isabel Deputy First Minister Nicola Sturgeon

"Their induction into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame will help ensure that their legacy continues to inspire for generations to come."

Accepting the award on behalf of McRae was his wife, Alison, and father Jim.

Alison said: "Colin would have been honoured and privileged to become a member of the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame and take his place alongside the greats of Scottish sporting history."

Sole, who was capped 44 times for Scotland's rugby union team, will forever be remembered for the inspirational manner in which he led his side out at Murrayfield for the Grand Slam decider against England in 1990, with the Scots famously triumphing 13-7.

The loose-head prop also captained the British and Irish Lions in two of their three series-winning tests against Australia in 1989.

Brown is one of Scotland's most successful-ever female swimmers.

She achieved 29 British records spread over a 16-year career in which she won three European Championship medals and went on to swim at the 1948 Olympic Games in London, winning bronze in the 400m freestyle.

Isabel Newstead excelled in several sports, including swimming, athletics and shooting, and won nine medals across all three sports at the Paralympic Games in Athens in 1984.

She also competed in the 1988 and 2004 Paralympics, winning a gold medal in the women's air pistol. She passed away in 2007.