Scots Evacuated from Dubai Recount Terror During Iranian Missile Strikes
More than three hundred Scottish citizens have returned home after being trapped in Dubai during devastating missile attacks launched by Iranian forces, with survivors describing harrowing experiences of fearing for their lives before their eventual evacuation. The group arrived back in Scotland aboard an Emirates flight that landed at Edinburgh Airport at 8:12 pm on Wednesday evening, following days of destruction and chaos overseas.
"I Thought I Was a Goner": Survivors' Harrowing Accounts
One of the returning travellers, Victoria Cameron, 57, who is originally from South Africa but now resides in Larkhall, revealed she believed she was a "goner" during the initial attacks. Partially deaf, she was greeted with flowers by her husband Brian Cameron upon arrival. Recalling the first missile strikes that occurred on Saturday, she described the terrifying moments.
"I thought it was a firework," Victoria Cameron said. "Then we saw the second one, then the third one and we started screaming and the hotel staff said 'run, run, run'. I was on the phone to my husband, saying 'we're under fire' and they led us away, the phones were going, we were shaking and we were crying. I'm from South Africa, and I'm not scared of anything, we're used to stuff, but I thought I was a goner on Saturday night."
Her husband, Brian Cameron, 59, had been prepared to travel to Dubai by any means necessary after learning his wife could be in danger. "I'd come up with all sorts of plans to drive there, just to be with her, I didn't like her being on her own," he explained. "The relief is just... I can't put it into words."
Basement Bunkers and Hotel Shelters
Other evacuees described how hotels in Dubai created emergency shelters in basement bunkers and underground garages to protect guests from the ongoing attacks. Holidaymakers Fiona Shearer, 45, and Lynn Buttercase, 49, spoke of feeling "on edge" throughout the initial onslaught.
"The Saturday was obviously horrendous," Ms Shearer recounted. "We were all really on edge, because you could still hear the explosions in the sky and things. We heard the airport explosion, and then these phone alerts went off."
Ms Buttercase provided details about the makeshift shelters: "In the basement of our hotel they made bunkers in underground garages, so everyone slept with their clothes on with their grab-bag, passport and had our phones fully charged."
Despite the terrifying circumstances, Ms Shearer noted that "for the rest of the time we were there, it was so quickly brought under control. In Dubai, everyone was quite calm over there. We were worried about not being able to get home, but certainly where we were, everybody felt quite calm."
Witnessing the Initial Blasts
Jack Crowe, 26, the proprietor of Borders Competitions, recalled witnessing the initial explosions from his hotel balcony on The Palm. "I think when it first hit for me was, we were on The Palm, and our balcony looked inland, and a jet flew over," he said. "I ran out to film it and was following the jet, and then there was this massive explosion. I was like, 'what the hell was that?'"
Emotional Reunions at Edinburgh Airport
Families were overcome with emotion as they reunited with loved ones at Edinburgh Airport. Kevin MacLean's family rushed to embrace him as he emerged from the arrivals terminal. Although he was fortunate enough to be at a safe distance from the heart of the strikes, he was nonetheless "chuffed to bits" at the sight of his loved ones.
"I wasn't quite near it," Mr MacLean shared. "I was speaking to a couple on the flight who were stuck in a basement in a hotel. In a way I'm quite lucky because we didn't have to do that." When questioned about reuniting with his family, he expressed: "I'm chuffed to bits. You just don't know how long it's going to take to actually get back."
The evacuation marks a dramatic conclusion to what survivors describe as days of terror and uncertainty, with Scottish authorities working to ensure the safe return of all citizens caught in the conflict zone.
