Paralympic champions tell of pride after being honoured by Queen

Three Paralympic gold medalists have spoken of their pride as they added an honour from the Queen to their tally of awards.

Wheelchair tennis star Gordon Reid, athlete Jo Butterfield and cyclist Karen Darke were all made MBEs at an investiture ceremony in Edinburgh on Tuesday.

The Scots athletes all scooped gold for the ParalympicsGB team in their disciplines at the Rio Games last year.

Speaking after the ceremony at the Palace of Holyroodhouse, Reid said: It feels great, it's really a proud moment to receive an MBE from the Queen.''

He said it was great to share the day with his parents and tennis coach, the three people that have helped me get here the most out of anyone''.

Kilted Reid won Wimbledon's men's doubles title for the first time last summer, having already triumphed at the 2015 US Open and twice at the French Open.

He also became singles champion at the Australian Open and Wimbledon last year, and landed the Paralympic singles gold medal.

He described 2016 as an amazing year'' thatwent by in a flash'', and said he is looking forward to defending his Wimbledon titles.

I'm feeling good, I'm looking forward to getting back on the grass,'' he said.It's always a great feeling playing at Wimbledon, it's such a special place to be.''

Butterfield said the experience of going to the palace was a bit surreal'', but added:It's a really nice feeling after what happened with Rio.''

She claimed gold at the Games in the F51 club throw.

On her conversation with the Queen during the ceremony, she said: Obviously we talked about Rio and it being the first Paralympics that I'd been to. It was nice, quite friendly.''

She is now gearing up to defend her title at the world championships in London later this month and says she is looking forward to getting in front of the home crowd.

Darke, who won the H1-3 time trial to secure a cycling gold in Brazil, said it was a great honour'' to be made an MBE.

She said: I think when I'm here about all the people that really helped me get here. I suppose when you're a Paralympic athlete, it's never just about yourself, so there are lots of people I can think of that should be here as well.''

She is currently training to represent Scotland in the triathlon at next year's Commonwealth Games in Australia.

Among the dozens being honoured in the palace's Great Gallery was poet laureate Professor Carol Ann Duffy, who was made a Dame in the New Year Honours List in December 2014. The Glasgow-born writer received the honour for services to poetry.

Josh Littlejohn, co-founder of Social Bite, was made an MBE for services to social enterprise and entrepreneurship in Scotland.

The Social Bite cafes allow customers to ''pay forward'' coffee or a meal for the homeless and about a quarter of its staff are formerly homeless.

Littlejohn said the Queen described the business concept as marvellous'' after he talked her though its work.

I never expected anything like this. I never expected a lot of the crazy things that happened over the last five years to happen,'' he added.

The organisation has received backing from various high-profile figures. George Clooney visited its Rose Street shop in Edinburgh in 2015 while Leonardo DiCaprio popped into its sister restaurant Home in the Scottish capital the following year.

Others attending the investiture ceremony included Michael Cavanagh, who was chairman of Commonwealth Games Scotland and was made an OBE for services to sport and the Commonwealth Games movement, while Professor Susan Deacon, assistant principal of the University of Edinburgh, was made a CBE for services to business, education and public service.

Prof Deacon, a former Labour health minister in the Scottish Parliament, said: I was particularly pleased that the citation for my award does make reference to my work across business, education and public service. That was quite special to me.''

John Park Campbell, chairman of Glenrath Farms in the Borders, was knighted for services to farming and charitable service to entrepreneurship.

Sir Ian Wood, who was knighted more than 20 years ago, was made a Knight Grand Cross of the Order of the British Empire for services to the oil and gas industry.

Following the ceremony, the Queen met Scotland's First Minister Nicola Sturgeon and Ken Macintosh, the Presiding Officer of the Scottish Parliament, during private audiences at the palace.