First Minister Nicola Sturgeon was among the speakers at Scotland's national Holocaust memorial ceremony, held in the Parliament Garden Lobby in Edinburgh, where guests viewed an exhibition, Unforgotten, dedicated to those who lost their childhoods and lives in Nazi concentration camps.

Ms Sturgeon said HMD served as “an important reminder of the millions of people who were murdered, or whose lives were changed forever, during the Holocaust and other genocides.

“We pay tribute to the survivors, who were forced to flee their homes and livelihoods in the face of unthinkable persecution. We also honour the legacy of those who demonstrated immense bravery and courage fighting for liberty, freedom and justice, many of whom, sadly, paid with their lives.”

HMD also saw the unveiling of a £500,000 Scottish Government-funded scheme towards security at places of worship. Speaking at Glasgow's Garnethill Synagogue, Scottish Justice Secretary Humza Yousaf said: "I hope this scheme will provide reassurance to all faith communities.” Communities Secretary Aileen Campbell added that “no one should fear being attacked because of their faith, and particularly in their place of worship. We are determined that all places of worship should be places of peace and sanctuary and that our faith communities feel safe and secure when they visit them.”

Ephraim Borowski, director of the Scottish Council of Jewish Communities, said the initiative was welcome as “we are tragically all too aware of the importance of security at places of worship and other communal locations. Sadly, places of worship are easily identifiable targets for hate crime, particularly against minority communities, when they should be places of shelter, sanctuary and peaceful reflection.”