16 / TalentScotland
SPORT HERITAGE
From football, tennis and golf to Highland Games, Scotland has a game for everyone
A nation of great sports
SPORT plays a big part in Scottish life, and you don’t need to look far to see why. The country boasted 55 Scottish Olympians and 27 Scottish Paralympians in Team GB at the 2012 London Olympic Games. Of the 185 medals won in total by Team GB, Scotland was responsible for 24, in disciplines such as athletics, cycling, hockey, judo, rowing, sailing, slalom canoeing and swimming. And the 2014 Commonwealth Games,
hosted in Glasgow, led to the opening of the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, named after the Scottish Olympic cyclist. This was in addition to new athletics arenas, swimming complexes and mountain bike trails. Scotland is firmly on the global tennis
map, too, thanks to Andy Murray. The Dunblane-born superstar won Olympic gold in 2012, then the men’s singles at Wimbledon in 2013 – the first Briton to win for 77 years. Known as the home of golf, Scotland has
more than its fair share of courses, from world famous coastal links such as the Old Course at St Andrews to Gleneagles which hosts the Ryder Cup – a competition which pits the best European golfers against the US.
Football is one of the nation’s most popular spectator sports. While it is played at varying levels across Scotland’s villages, towns and cities, Glasgow boasts the country’s two best supported football clubs in Rangers and Celtic. But there is a fanatical following
of the national team, too. In fact, the Tartan Army, as the fans are collectively known, is famous around the world for its kilts, navy blue shirts, good humour and unwavering support – both at home and away. The Scottish national rugby side
enjoys a similar support. Playing their home games in Edinburgh’s Murrayfield Stadium, fans are regularly treated to top class competition in the form of the Six Nations, Test matches and the World Cup. But that’s not all. There are more
traditional Scottish sports, too. The Highland Games offer tossing the caber, hammer throwing and tug o’ war as part of its traditional line-up and all are a sight to behold for both locals and visitors alike. So, whether you like your competition to be local, national or international, Scotland is the place to find it.
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