WATCH: Edith Bowman’s star-studded charity livestream raises over £43,000 for PPE supplies

It was a virtual night to remember as Edith Bowman and a host of famous Scottish faces teamed up to raise over £43,000 for crucial coronavirus PPE supplies.

Thousands of viewers from around the world tuned in to the four-hour livestream on Wednesday night to catch a glimpse of the biggest names from across the country.

Organised by Scots DJ and presenter Edith Bowman, ‘For the Love of Scotland’ aimed to raise money for the community frontline PPE appeal, Masks for Scotland, founded by Professor Jill Belch of the University of Dundee.

The initiative has a £200,000 target and the show helped to bring the total donations so far to over £143,000.

The fundraiser, hosted on Gigs in Scotland’s Facebook and YouTube channels, saw the likes of Alan Cumming, Annie Lennox, Sir Chris Hoy, James McAvoy, Jack Lowden, Karen Gillan, Martin Compston, Ncuti Gatwa, Peter Capadi, Sam Heughan and Simon Neil of Biffy Clyro join Bowman for a night of musical performances, literature, poetry, comedic laughs and heart-warming chats.

As well as paying homage to the incredible medical workers across Scotland, the event also showcased inspiring stories from the community, highlighting the many ways the nation is coming together during lockdown.

Highlights from the night included The Nest actor Martin Compston demonstrating some of the Spanish skills which he had been learning in lockdown, a special performance from singer-songwriter Annie Lennox, novelist Ian Rankin reading a snippet from his new novel and a cocktail class with Outlander star Sam Heughan.

Quiz actor Mark Bonnar even joined the livestream with ‘I love the NHS’ painted on his face.

Twin Atlantic’s frontman, Sam McTrusty, brought the virtual show to an end with performances dedicated to his mum, sister and wife who all work in the NHS.

He said: “I’m working from home looking after our daughter. My wife has gone back into working for the NHS. It is a bit scary as soon as there’s someone in your household walking into danger like that. My mum and my younger sister do the same so it’s a daily worry for me. It’s just a crazy time and to see someone be that fearless and selfless is amazing.”

You can still show your support for Masks for Scotland and those carrying out exceptional work in this unprecedented time by donating directly here.