Why is it so special to be part of Team Scotland?
Scottish athletes say representing Team Scotland at the Commonwealth Games feels unusually personal and emotionally significant, despite also being proud to compete for Great Britain. They describe a warmer, more familiar atmosphere shaped by shared culture, longstanding relationships and the rare opportunity to represent their home nation, particularly ahead of Glasgow 2026.
Olympians and Commonwealth medallists including Eilish McColgan, Ross Murdoch, Jack Carlin, Kirsty Gilmour and Mark Dry say the experience recalls childhood ambitions and local roots. Scotland won 13 gold medals at the Birmingham 2022 Commonwealth Games, while Glasgow is set to host the event again in 2026.
- Team Scotland feels personal, familiar and rooted in shared identity.
- Athletes value representing Scotland alongside competing for Great Britain.
- Glasgow will host the Commonwealth Games in 2026.
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The Commonwealth Games is an international sporting event where athletes from countries and territories across the Commonwealth compete separately from their Olympic teams. It gives Scottish athletes the rare chance to represent their own nation distinctly, rather than as part of Team Great Britain, which is how they compete in the Olympics.
Scottish athletes describe this as a uniquely personal and emotionally charged experience. Many grew up dreaming of representing their home nation, and the Games create a distinctive atmosphere of shared culture and close-knit communities in a way that broader international competition doesn't quite match. The event feels particularly meaningful as athletes reconnect with their roots and local connections.
Glasgow's upcoming hosting of the Games in 2026 intensifies this feeling. Scotland recently finished the Birmingham Games in 2022 with 13 gold medals, and the prospect of the Games returning home in just a few years adds an extra layer of significance to the competition's role in Scottish sporting life and identity.