Tunisia attack: Jim and Ann McQuire and Billy and Lisa Graham killed

Jim and Ann McQuire and Billy and Lisa Graham have been confirmed as four of the victims

Four Scots were among those killed in Friday's shootings in Tunisia, Police Scotland has confirmed.

Jim and Ann McQuire from Cumbernauld, and Billy and Lisa Graham from Bankfoot, were among 38 people killed by a gunman with links to Islamic State extremists.

An RAF plane has left the UK for Tunisia to begin the repatriation of the 30 Britons who died in the attack.

The process is expected to take several days, with a joint inquest to follow.

Eight coffins are expected to be flown into RAF Brize Norton in Oxfordshire on the C17 transport aircraft on Wednesday.

All UK citizens who were seriously injured in the attack have already been flown home.

A national minute's silence is to be held on Friday at 12:00.

'Great ambassador'

First Minister Nicola Sturgeon paid tribute to the Scottish victims on Tuesday.

"My deepest condolences go to the families and friends of James and Ann McQuire from Cumbernauld and Billy and Lisa Graham from Bankfoot following official confirmation that they were killed in the terrorist atrocity that unfolded in Tunisia on Friday," she said.

"The Scottish government, Police Scotland and our partners will continue to do everything we possibly can to provide support to their families and everyone else affected by this incident as they return to Scotland from Tunisia."

The Grahams were visiting the resort to celebrate Mrs Graham's 50th birthday.

Mr Graham, 51, had worked as a turnstile operator at St Johnstone football club for seven years.

Steve Brown, the chairman of the Perth club, said: "This is terrible news and our thoughts go out to the whole family at this time.

Bankfoot has been "very subdued" in the aftermath of the news about the "well known" couple

"Billy was part of the St Johnstone family and a great ambassador for the club, who always did his job with a smile on his face."

Local councillor John Kellas said there was "great sadness" in the village of Bankfoot.

He said: "Many members of the community have been speaking to me about it, expressing their condolences and support for the family at what must be a very difficult time.

"It's very subdued - they were very well known. Throughout the whole community, because it's a very small village, people have been expressing their support for the family and they would want to convey that."

Deputy First Minister John Swinney, who was Mr and Mrs Graham's MSP, said: "I have spoken with their daughter Holly over the last few very difficult days, and my heart goes out to her at this tragic news.

"Mr and Mrs Graham were simply enjoying a relaxing holiday when they became victims of this wicked crime. There are no words that can explain the awfulness of this act. We must all remain resolute in our determination to defeat terrorism.

"It has been a difficult and protracted process to secure the identification of victims and for Mr and Mrs Graham this has resulted in this terrible news.

"Their loss will be felt by the local community in Bankfoot but most acutely by the family and friends they leave behind. I will give every support I can to their daughter Holly and her family in the period ahead to assist in any way that I can."

'Looking forward to it'

Mr McQuire, 67, and his wife, 64, had only booked their holiday a fortnight before leaving. They had recently retired and had been talking about their Tunisian holiday when they attended church on the Sunday before they left.

The congregation of the Church of Scotland at Abronhill, with which the McQuires were heavily involved, was told on Sunday that authorities were "99.9% sure" the McQuires had died in the shooting.

Minister Joyce Keyes said: "I don't think I can make any sense of it at all. My feeling is of numbness.

"They were regular holiday goers since their retirement and were really looking forward to it."

The couple had a son, Stuart, who lives in the town, and Mr McQuire had two sisters who are both members of the congregation.

The Scottish government has held three resilience meetings since the attack, with flags in government buildings flying at half-mast, and Foreign Secretary Philip Hammond chaired a meeting of the UK government's Cobra emergency committee.

Perth and Kinross Council and some local bus companies have announced their own plans for a minutes silence on Friday, and the council and its North Lanarkshire counterpart have opened books of condolence in memory of victims.

North Lanarkshire provost Jim Roberson said: "Mr and Mrs McQuire made a huge contribution to their community through their work with young people. and I feel it only right residents have the opportunity to record their tributes."

The gunman, 23-year-old student Seifeddine Rezgui, was shot dead following the attack on a beach near Sousse. Tunisian authorities have arrested several people on suspicion of helping him.