THE victims of the Spanish rail disaster will be remembered in Catholic masses across the central belt.

Ronnie Convery, spokesman for the Archdiocese of Glasgow, said pilgrimages to the shrine of St James in Santiago de Compostela had become increasingly popular with Scots in recent years.

Many of those on the train are thought to have been travelling for a mass to celebrate the feast day of St James, the patron saint of Spain, yesterday at Santiago de Compostela Cathedral.

Mr Convery said: "Our thoughts and prayers are very much with all those caught up in this dreadful disaster.

"The shrine of St James in Compostela is not one to which we run regular organised pilgrimages from Scotland but it is a shrine which has become increasingly popular with Scots in recent years who tend to go on pilgrimage alone or in small groups.

"Those who have died and their relatives together with all who have been caught up in the disaster will be remembered at masses in coming days."

Callum Christie, who runs Frontier Holidays in Milngavie, arranges walking trips to Santiago de Compostela for people from all over the world, including Scotland.

So far this year the firm has arranged for around 100 Scots to travel there.

Callum, who lived in Spain for 20 years, said: "I've been in touch with people over there. The hoteliers I have been talking to are completely shocked.

"I know that stretch of railway quite well. They had built a new stretch for high speed trains.

"There has been a lot of investment in the railways.

"We are one of the main English-speaking firms which arrange accommodation and travel for people who want to walk the pilgrimage route.

"We have had over 100 people going over in advance of the festival.

"Thankfully we don't appear to have anyone involved."

He added: "The fact that it happened when everyone should be celebrating the feast of St James is doubly tragic."

A Glasgow priest who travelled to the city in 1999 with a group of pilgrims, spoke of his shock after learning about the tragedy.

Father Willy Slavin, from St Simon's Church in the city's West End, said: "It's very shocking. There are a lot of people who travel for the festival who are not religious but thousands of people would be attending that mass.

"When I travelled there in 1999 you literally couldn't move because of the numbers attending. It is like Hampden or a similar sized stadium.

"This is a place people travel to by foot and by horseback. To learn that so many have died by train, it will have an effect on them."

caroline.wilson@eveningtimes.co.uk