 | 'Values of warmth and courage shone in her bright life.' Ex SNP leader, John Swinney MSP, 25 th March 2006. |  |
| 'Values of warmth and courage shone in her bright life.' Ex SNP leader, John Swinney MSP, 25 th March 2006. | |
POLITICIANS united to say a final farewell to SNP stalwart Margaret Ewing yesterday.
Margaret, wife of fellow MSP Fergus, died from breast cancer on Tuesday at the age of 60.
More than 500 mourners attended her funeral in Lossiemouth, Moray, with dozens more standing outside St Gerardine's Church.
Husband Fergus and his mother Winnie, a legend of the Nationalist movement, supported each other as they arrived.
Other mourners included party leader Alex Salmond and Holyrood leader Nicola Sturgeon, education minister Peter Peacock and Labour MSP Rhona Brankin and former Lib Dem leader Jim Wallace.
After the family were piped in to the tune of Flowers of the Forest, minister the Rev Tommy Bryson started an emotional service by reciting the words to Flower of Scotland.
He called Margaret "someone exceptionally special to us and to Scotland - a true flower of Scotland".
He went on: "We have come to know her by the things she did. She gave her life to her wee bit hill and glen."
In his eulogy, former SNP leader John Swinney paid a passionate tribute.
He said: "Those values of kindness, warmth, determination and courage shone through the bright and fulfilling life that Margaret lived all of her days.
"We will all have our individual memories of Margaret... a devoted representative of this community, a distinguished parliamentarian at Westminster and a member of the Scottish parliament she did so much to deliver."
Turning to her Saltire-draped coffin, he said: "Maggie, you were a flower of Scotland."
Margaret's political career took off in 1974 when she took the East Dunbartonshire constituency at Westminster by just 22 votes. When the Scottish parliament was established, she left for Holyrood.
She was diagnosed with breast cancer in 2002 and battled to continue her work.
But in August, she said she would not contest the next Holyrood elections because of her health.
'Values of warmth and courage shone in her bright life' John Swinney.
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