​Scotland joins 172 countries and territories throughout the globe in celebrating the planet

Scotland has once again played a part in the world’s largest grassroots movement for the environment – WWF’s Earth Hour.

At 8.30pm on Saturday, hundreds of Scottish landmarks and buildings and thousands of homes united in a moment of symbolic action for the planet with 172 countries and territories across 24 time zones.

Iconic structures such as Edinburgh Castle, the Forth Rail Bridge and for the first time the giant Kelpies all switched off to inspire collective action on climate change.

Lang Banks, director of WWF Scotland said: “Every year I’m amazed and delighted at how the people of Scotland get behind Earth Hour.

“From schools and businesses to politicians, celebrities and iconic landmarks, we’ve received an amazing level of support and we’ve enjoyed hearing all the different ways people planned to celebrate the hour.

“Lights around the world went out for one hour this weekend, but the need to take action extends throughout the year. Earth Hour brings temporary darkness to many of our most recognisable landmarks and is a moment for us all to reflect on ways we can go beyond the hour to help tackle climate change and protect our brilliant planet.”