Johnston reunited with family
Alan Johnston was freed on Wednesday
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Saturday, 07, Jul 2007 11:16
Freed reporter Alan Johnston has returned home to Scotland, three days after being released by his kidnappers in Gaza.
The journalist, employed by the BBC as the broadcaster's correspondent in the region over the past three years, travelled to his family home in Argyll, Scotland, after arriving at London's Heathrow airport this lunchtime.
He appeared hugging his parents and siblings before telling reporters he planned on spending the next two months recuperating from his ordeal.
"It really is hard to believe that just four days ago I was back in that cell in the depths of Gaza City and here I am back with my family in this beautiful, peaceful place," he said.
"Coming home has just never, never felt so very good as it does today… Even the midges are ok today."
Mr Johnston has been recuperating at the British Consulate in Jerusalem since being handed over to officials from the Palestinian political movement Hamas on Wednesday.
The correspondent, who turned 45 while in captivity, has compared his 16 weeks as a hostage to being "buried alive".
Today he praised his father for appearing "calm, dignified [and] so strong" in press conferences during Mr Johnston's captivity, adding he could tell from the look in his mother's eyes that "she was coping with it too".
"I often got a sense that people up here in Scotland were right behind us too. I'm going to be grateful for all that support all my life," he added.
Mr Johnston said he looked forward to returning to work as a journalist but was happy spending time with his family for now.
"It is a relief that this strange, dark period is coming to an end and it'll be very good to be back in there with you lads behind the cameras," he said.