As long as Emma Porter has been alive, there has been a Scottish Parliament.

For the 19-year-old activist from Springburn, there has never been anything other than devolution.

All 129 parliamentarians were asked to nominate a local hero who had made “an extraordinary contribution” to their communities to take part in the ceremony to mark 25 years of the Scottish Parliament.

Emma was here as the nominee of Labour MSP Paul Sweeney.

When I ask her why, she tells me she started doing community work in Springburn when she just 12 years old.

She set up an outdoor classroom, she founded the Springburn Youth Forum, is a leading activist in the Spirit of Springburn charity, she runs the Springburn Community Hub, is on the local Community Council, and even runs the community fridge.

A worthy local hero.

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Emma is a couple of years older than I was on that day in the summer of 1999 when Winnie Ewing declared the Scottish Parliament “adjourned on the 25th day of March in the year 1707” was “hereby reconvened.”

I’m not sure if I’m qualified enough to compare what life was like before devolution to what life is like now.

Gordon McDonald is a bit older than both Emma and me.

He was in his 50s when Holyrood returned. When I ask him if he thinks it has made a difference to his life, he replies instantly, “Absolutely.”

“It's giving people a bit more of hope,” he adds. “We can actually start making decisions for ourselves, rather than get things imposed on us. And I think that's a very comforting thing. It really is.”

Gordon is here for his work setting up a community hub in Buckie. As well as providing food, toiletries, and school clothing to those in need, it’s also somewhere to go for people with mental health issues, people who are lonely, and people who just need a cup of tea.

“A lot of people were worried about the Scottish Parliament [in 1999], especially after what we've gone through before, the Poll Tax and all the other stuff.

“Okay we can get it wrong here, but at least we're making up our own minds.”

(Image: Andrew Cowan/Scottish Parliament/PA Wire)

Before the speeches, before the King arrives, there is milling. MSPs wander about the debating chamber, joking and laughing.

In the gallery, there are the local heroes, the families of MSPs, high heidyins from just about every branch of the public sector and what must be every Lord Provost in Scotland.

There are, by my count, three of Scotland's six former first ministers here.

Nicola Sturgeon sits beside Humza Yousaf on the SNP benches, while Alex Salmond sits with public, watching proceedings from on high.

(Image: Andrew Milligan/PA)

The SNP, the Tories and the Lib Dems all have roses in their buttonholes. When I ask a Labour MSP why he’s not got a flower, he jokes, “Megxit”.

After a rousing new fanfare composed by Fife’s John Wallace for the 25th anniversary and played by brass students from the Royal Conservatoire of Scotland, the King and Queen arrive, flanked by the Royal Company of Archers, the Sovereign's Body Guard in Scotland.

Beau Johnston, a Member of the Scottish Youth Parliament, went ahead, wielding the mighty Elizabeth Sword. It’s a big job. The sword must about the same as she is.

It looked sharp too. One trip and she could have triggered a couple of by-elections.

While that might have helped John Swinney with his budget negotiations, it would have put a downer on the day.

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The King’s speech was surprisingly political and personal. He talked about his grandmother and his mother and their love of Scotland.

“From the central belt, to the North Highlands, across the islands, in Ayrshire, in the Borders, the cities, towns, and villages, or the coastal communities, who, I wonder, could not fail to be moved by this complex Caledonian kaleidoscope?” he asks.

1999 was a “turning point,” Charles said.

“Today is an important milestone. As we look ahead to the next quarter of a century and beyond, there remains much more to be done, for Scotland, for the United Kingdom and, equally, in addressing the challenges we all share as inhabitants of a planet whose climate is changing dangerously and whose biodiversity is being seriously depleted.”

It is an important message whose impact is perhaps a little diluted when soon after leaving the parliament, he and the Queen board a helicopter waiting in the grounds of Holyroodhouse and fly off.

Before they get to leave the King and Queen first sit stoically through the speeches from the party leaders.

There is not even a flicker of irritation or bemusement or anything when Patrick Harvie talks about the need for wealth to be “fairly shared, instead of hoarded by the few.”

Nor when he calls all power to be “democratically accountable.”

The Royals have perfected their poker faces. They are inscrutable when John Swinney talks about embarking “on the next chapter of Scottish self-government.”

Nothing either when new Scottish Tory leader Russell Findlay says the support “principle of a devolved Scottish Parliament within the United Kingdom remains firm.”

In fact, the only time there’s a crack is after the stunning performance by 92 musicians from Sistema Scotland’s Big Noise programmes.

Highland Cathedral can be a dirge when performed poorly. And it is often performed poorly.

But the youngsters from Douglas, Govanhill, Raploch, Torry and Wester Hailes absolutely smash it out of the park.

Even though they are outside the chamber, standing on the steps down to the Garden Lobby, It is a genuinely moving moment watching it on the monitors..

It’s not just the King who’s beaming when they end.

The music from the Còisir Alba is also incredibly powerful, though towards the end a Highland dancer stands between the SNP and Green benches and throws in a few pas de basques/paddy bas.

She’s not mentioned in the programme, but I’m assuming she was supposed to be there. Maybe not. Who knows? Maybe she’ll turn up on Tuesday for Stage 3 of the Proceedings: Aggregates Tax and Devolved Taxes Administration (Scotland) Bill.

(Image: Andrew Milligan/PA)

Holyrood is messy, it is infuriating, it is frequently dull and sometimes it’s a bit stupid.

It has, in recent years, failed at holding the government to account and failed to properly scrutinise important legislation.

It is in desperate need of reform.

And yet, when Alex Cole-Hamilton, said “I love this place,” I found myself nodding in agreement.

Our parliament is young. One of the youngest in the world. It can only, surely, get better. 

I cannot wait to see what the next 25 years hold.