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Edinburgh Live
Edinburgh Live
National
Kris Gourlay

Edinburgh locals line Royal Mile in memory of local boxing legend Ken Buchanan

Edinburgh locals lined the streets on Tuesday afternoon as the funeral cortege of local boxing great Ken Buchanan made its way to St Giles Cathedral.

They took their spot on the Royal Mile as the cortege made its way through the city centre, onto High Street and St Giles following Ken's sad passing on April 1, aged 77.

Born June 28, 1945, Ken became a professional boxer in 1965. He went on to win the WBA lightweight world title by dethroning Panama's Ismael Laguna in Puerto Rica in 1970, defeating Ruben Navarro in Los Angeles in 1971, and earning 33 other wins.

READ MORE: Pals of Edinburgh's Ken Buchanan fondly remember the man who never changed despite fame

Ken was made an MBE in 1872, with his statue revealed outside St James Quarter last year. It was also in the last year that his son revealed he was suffering from dementia and living in a care home.

On Tuesday, April 25, Ken's cortege passed the site of former Sparta Boxing Club and his own statue, as per his wishes. The hearse arrived at the historic St Giles Cathedral shortly after 12pm.

The streets surrounding the cathedral fell silent as the cortege arrived, with hundreds of locals paying their respects to a true boxing legend who was regarded as one of the UK's all-time greats.

On Sunday, we reported how friends of Ken spoke us through his career and personality, saying he never once changed despite his fame.

John Cameron, 56, Jimmy Pake, Russell Hamilton, 65, and John McHendry 73, shared anecdotes from Ken's life while laughing and remembering him fondly.

His pals spoke of Ken as a real figure among the local community and how he spurred on many young boxers. He was also a man of all trades, starting out as a joiner with good pal Russell Hamilton, as well as running pubs and a pool hall.

Russell Hamilton said "We've been drinking in here most of our life. Kenny was one of us and he would sit right here next to us. There is only one word for Kenny and that is a gentleman. He wouldn’t say a bad word about anyone.

Mourners from the world of boxing also gathered for the memorial service. Barry McGuigan, Steve Bunce, Alex Arthur, Jim Watt and Tommy Gilmour were among those in attendance.

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