A strong part of Scotland's cultural identity, its historic sporting heritage has a profound impact that goes well beyond its boundaries. The Commonwealth Games perfectly embody the country's enduring sporting spirit and international contribution. On this page we discuss Sport in Scotland, so continue reading to know more. 

Overview of Sport in Scotland

Scotland is part of the United Kingdom, though it has a unique history and sporting culture, and competes in many sports in international competitions as a team from Scotland, though at the Olympic Games athletes from Scotland represent Great Britain.

“There have been consistently strong performances from Scottish athletes at the highest level for a number of years now across a range of sports, demonstrating that Scotland’s approach to developing a pathway to performance sport is paying off.”
— John Swinney, First Minister of Scotland, reflecting on Scottish athletes’ achievements at the Paris Olympic Games.

Scotland has played a pivotal role in the development of many sports, such as golf, curling, water polo, and shinty. The modern game of golf originated in 15th century Scotland, and curling existed in Scotland in the early 16th century. The Highland Games is a multi-sport event which predates athletics events. Events in the Highland Games include throwing a wheat sheaf over a 17-meter bar, tug-o-war, tossing the caber and shifting the stones. In addition to the physical events, there is also dancing and music.

Highland Games Weight Throw Highland Games Weight Throw

Popular Sports in Scotland

Football (Soccer)

Scotland's national sport with passionate fans supporting clubs like Celtic and Rangers. The Scottish national team competes internationally and has qualified for multiple World Cups.

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Rugby Union

A cornerstone of Scottish sport since 1871 when Scotland played in the first-ever international rugby match. Scotland competes in the Six Nations Championship annually.

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Golf

The spiritual home of golf, with St Andrews being the oldest golf course in the world. Scotland regularly hosts The Open Championship, golf's oldest major.

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Most Popular Sports

  • Golf
  • Football (Soccer)
  • Rugby union
  • Ice-hockey
  • Netball
  • Field hockey
  • Rugby league

Regional and Traditional Sports

According to sports science expert Robert Wood, who has analyzed sports performance data for over 25 years, Scotland's traditional sports represent some of the oldest organized athletic competitions in the world, with the Highland Games tradition dating back over 1,000 years.

  • Shinty — Scottish team sport resembling field hockey, played with long curved sticks and a small ball which is hit through tall goalposts. Derived from the Irish game of Hurling.
  • Caber Toss — a traditional Scottish sport in which the competition revolves around tossing forward a large tapered pole called a caber.
  • Ba Game — a version of Medieval Football played in Scotland, a type of Mob Football where two parts of a town have to get a ball to their respective sides.
  • Curling — Winter Olympic sport in which stones slide on a sheet of ice towards a target area. The sport originated in Scotland in the 16th century.

Historic Sporting Achievements

Rugby union is a popular sport in Scotland. The first-ever international rugby match was between England and Scotland which took place on March 27, 1871. Scotland also participated in the first-ever international football match where they played against England on November 30, 1872.

Scotland has a national cricket team, though it is not as popular as it is further south of the border in England. Scotland does not play Test matches, but it is now allowed to play full One Day Internationals, and takes part in the Cricket World Cup, having reached the final tournament in 2007.

“There is a new tranche of Scots coming onto the programme … and the very name of it as ‘World Class Performance Programme’ tells you the levels these athletes and coaches are operating at. Selectors are having a look at these athletes and believe they can deliver on a world stage. There’s no doubt in my mind that … Scottish athletes and coaches can be world class.”
— Announcement from Scottish Athletics when naming athletes on their World Class Programme.

Notable Scottish Sporting Successes

  • The Duke of Argyll's team representing Scotland won the 2001, 2004 and 2005 Elephant Polo World Championships.
  • Scotland have only ever won one Olympic medal as Scotland, when the men's field hockey team won a bronze medal at the 1908 Summer Games.
  • Scotland qualified for UEFA Euro 2024, their first European Championship since 1996.
  • Scottish cyclist Chris Hoy won six Olympic gold medals, making him Britain's most successful Olympic athlete.
  • Andy Murray won three Grand Slam singles titles and two Olympic gold medals before retiring in 2024.

Great Athletes from Scotland

Athlete Sport Notable Achievement
Chris Hoy Cycling 6 Olympic gold medals
Andy Murray Tennis 3 Grand Slams, 2 Olympic golds
Eric Liddell Athletics 1924 Olympic 400m gold - Featured in Chariots of Fire
Alan Wells Athletics 1980 Olympic 100m champion
Denis Law Football Only Scot to win Ballon d'Or (1964)
Katherine Grainger Rowing 5 Olympic medals (1 gold, 4 silver)

💡 Pro Tip: Scotland punches well above its weight in Olympic sports when competing as part of Team GB, with Scottish athletes contributing significantly to Britain's medal count despite Scotland's population of just over 5 million.

Scottish Sports Trivia

  • The Musselburgh Links, East Lothian, Scotland is the oldest golf course in the world.
  • A Scot, Launceston Elliot, won Great Britain and Ireland's very first Olympic gold medal, in 1896 in Athens.
  • Rugby sevens was initially conceived by Ned Haig, a butcher from Melrose, Scotland as a fundraising event for his local club, Melrose RFC, in 1883.
  • Football player Denis Law, who played for Manchester United, is the only player from Scotland to win the Ballon d'Or award.
  • The world's oldest football trophy is the Scottish Football Association Challenge Cup, first competed for in 1873-74.

Scotland at Major International Events

Scotland's independent participation in major sporting events helps maintain the nation's distinct sporting identity while Scottish athletes also contribute significantly to Team GB's Olympic success.

  • Great Britain at the Summer Olympics
  • Great Britain at the Winter Olympics
  • Scotland at the Commonwealth Games
  • Scotland at the FIFA World Cup
  • Scotland at the FIFA Women's World Cup
  • Scotland at the Cricket ODI World Cup
  • Scotland at the Cricket T20 World Cup
  • Scotland at the Rugby World Cup
  • Scotland at the Netball World Cup
  • Scotland at the UEFA Euros
high jump event at Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2014 High jump event at Glasgow Commonwealth Games 2014

Past Sporting Events Hosted in Scotland

  • 1970 Commonwealth Games Edinburgh
  • 1986 Commonwealth Games Edinburgh
  • 1999 Cricket World Cup - Some matches of the tournament, which was held mainly in England, were also held in Scotland.
  • 2014 Commonwealth Games Glasgow, Scotland
  • 2023 UCI Road World Championships in Glasgow
  • UEFA Euro 2024 - Scotland participated in the tournament held in Germany, their second European Championship since 1996.

Upcoming Sporting Events in Scotland

Annual Sporting Events Held in Scotland

  • The Scottish Cup (Football competition, established 1873)
  • The Open Championship (golf) - Regularly rotates to Scottish venues including St Andrews, Carnoustie, Royal Troon, and Muirfield
  • Scottish Highland Games - Multiple events held throughout Scotland each summer
  • Six Nations Rugby Championship - Scotland hosts matches at Murrayfield Stadium

Major Sporting Facilities in Scotland

  • Scottish Institute of Sport
  • St Andrews Golf Course - The "Home of Golf"
  • Hampden Park - National stadium located in Glasgow with 51,866 capacity
  • Celtic Park - 60,411 capacity, home of Celtic FC
  • Ibrox Stadium - 50,817 capacity, home of Rangers FC
  • Murrayfield Stadium - Scotland's rugby union stadium with 67,144 capacity
  • Emirates Arena - Multi-sport venue built for 2014 Commonwealth Games