Covid in Scotland: Stories that lifted the spirits

The Covid pandemic has generated countless grim headlines - but there have also been stories of kindness, charity and survival against the odds.

Here are some of the inspirational stories over the past nine months.

When 98-year-old Daphne Shah was rushed to hospital with coronavirus in early April, her son feared the worst.

Wesley Shah admitted: "When she left in the ambulance, I honestly never thought I'd see her again."

Mrs Shah tested positive for Covid-19 in Dundee's Ninewells Hospital - but five days later she was discharged.

Wesley, from St Madoes in Perth and Kinross, said he wanted to "tell the world" that the very elderly can recover from Covid-19.

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon described her recovery as "an inspiring and very welcome good news story".

Tracy Maguire remembers the moment she saw doctors insert a swab into her three-week-old baby's nose to test for coronavirus.

"It was the first time I'd seen my baby cry tears," she said.

"I held her, I was crying and we were just trying to get each other through the situation."

Born eight weeks premature on 26 March, weighing just 3lbs 5oz (1.5kg), baby Peyton was diagnosed with Covid-19 at three weeks old.

Tracy recalled: "They said 'she's fine, don't panic - but she has tested positive for coronavirus'. I think the doctor was trying to keep me calm but I was sobbing."

BBC Scotland caught up with the family six months later and heard how Peyton was now "thriving".

Describing her daughter as a "parcel of goodness", Tracy added: "She really is an absolute angel.

"There was so much darkness, but she lights up every room... all you can ever ask for is a happy, healthy baby."

When Grant McIntyre was admitted to intensive care seriously ill with Covid-19, the help of a ventilator was not enough to keep him alive.

The 49-year-old went into hospital in Dundee on 26 March and within days, doctors were preparing to put him into a coma and use a machine to assist his breathing.

He says: "I was deteriorating very rapidly and I was put on to a CPAP machine within the space of an hour. As I was being anaesthetised I felt that this was going to be the fight of my life.

"I don't remember anything for the next 50 days or so. And it was only when I woke up back in intensive care, having had my life saved by a wonderful team in Aberdeen, that I started to piece the jigsaw together."

He had been moved from Ninewells to the ICU at Aberdeen Royal Infirmary, where a specialist system called ECMO took over his lung function for 43 days and allowed his body to begin its recovery.

Grant was one of the very few patients who could benefit from the specialist support because he was relatively young, active and had no underlying health conditions.

Critical care consultant Ian Scott said: "If we had left him on a conventional ventilator his other organs would have started to fail."

Treated with steroids, Grant's lungs finally began to clear and he was finally discharged from intensive care at the end of June.

A patient who spent 90 days in hospital fighting Covid-19 thanked NHS staff for his "fantastic treatment" as he was discharged from hospital.

Bob Morning was admitted to Ninewells in Dundee on 4 April and transferred to the intensive care unit five days later.

He remained there for 63 days until he was moved to a ward on 11 May.

Staff cheered and clapped when he was finally allowed home on 3 July.

Mr Morning had nothing but praise for all those who helped with his care.

"I've had fantastic treatment, the staff have encouraged me every step of the way.

"Since I came to ward 3 the main focus has been on physiotherapy and I'm feeling much stronger now and ready to go home."

Six weeks after his release he told BBC Scotland that he still faces major challenges, but realises how lucky he was.

A care home resident inspired by Captain Sir Tom Moore completed her own charity challenge by playing the piano for 100 days in a row.

Rebecca Parker, 98, boosted morale in McClymont House, Lanark, from April through to July - while also raising more than £17,500 for Lanarkshire Health Board Endowment Funds.

Mrs Parker, who is originally from Skye, described the generosity of those who donated money as "quite outstanding".

Her repertoire of Scottish tunes lifted the mood of staff and fellow residents during the lockdown.

Phyllis McCaskie, 101, said: "I always think she has been a concert pianist the way she plays."

Nonagenarian Margaret Payne also followed Captain Sir Tom's example and embarked on a marathon challenge.

Inspired by the Army veteran's 100 laps of his garden, the 90-year-old set out to climb the equivalent of Highland mountain Suilven - a height of 731m (2,398ft).

That meant making 282 trips upstairs at her home in Ardvar, Sutherland.

She began her challenge on 12 April and hit her target to raise £10,000 for the NHS and a hospice in less than a week.

By the time she had completed her epic challenge in June she had raised more than £347,000. Margaret said the total had since exceeded £430,000.

Margaret said she would consider raising money for good causes again, but not by climbing stairs.

"They are a bit boring," she said.

"And my knees ache. They ache more than they used to and I might wear them out."

As millions of Scots prepared for a long difficult winter, volunteers were using the power of food to lighten the mood and keep people connected.

Andy Stadalius, 77 from Glasgow says he hit "rock bottom" when he lost his wife more than a year ago.

But an unlikely friendship with 31-year-old Alex Clarke, a volunteer for the Meal Makers service in Glasgow, has turned things around.

Meal Makers connects people who love cooking with an older neighbour who would appreciate a freshly prepared meal and a friendly chat.

Mr Stadalius said: "She treats me like a father and I treat her like a daughter. She is more than a friend to me - she is my best friend. All the money in the world wouldn't compensate that lassie, she's an angel."

Meanwhile, in Golspie teenager Keegan Campbell helps deliver fish suppers to pensioners who are missing their lunch club.

About 35 elderly people receive the suppers for a bargain £3 courtesy of the Go Golspie charity.

Their meals are delivered every Friday with a side order of human interaction.

Keegan, 15, said: "It's pretty good craic. They have good days and bad days and all we do is try to brighten up their day. We might be the only people they see in a week."

A 90-year-old woman in South Lanarkshire became the first care home resident in Scotland to receive the Pfizer Covid-19 vaccine.

Former carer Annie Innes was immunised at Abercorn House in Hamilton.

Ms Innes told reporters it was "wonderful" to get the vaccine just before Christmas.

She added: "I hope it keeps me, my friends here and the staff safe and means we can get back to normal very soon.

"The nurses and the care home staff have been great with us and we are relieved to have been offered the vaccine."