"This has been a year of historic milestones — 70 years since the D-Day landings and 100 years since the start of World War One for example," Mundell said. "On behalf of the UK Government and the people of Scotland it is a great pleasure to welcome UK and Russian Arctic Convoy veterans to Edinburgh and host a reception in their honour."
Mundell thanked UK and Russian Arctic Convoy veterans for what they "did during World War II for our country, for our freedom and for our safety."
In August, British Arctic Convoy veterans visited Saint Petersburg to mark the anniversary of the first Arctic Convoy in 1941.
In November, Andrei Pritsepov, Consulate General of Russia in Edinburgh, awarded the surviving Scottish convoy veterans the Medal of Ushakov in recognition of their wartime role and courage.
