Sport in Scotland facts for kids
Sport is a very important part of life in Scotland. The country's cool and rainy weather has helped popularize sports that can be played in all conditions. These include football, rugby, and golf. Many other sports are also enjoyed across Scotland, with some being more popular in certain areas.
Scotland has its own sports competitions and groups that manage different sports. Examples include the Camanachd Association for shinty and the Scottish Rugby Union for rugby. Scotland also competes independently in many international events, like the Rugby League World Cup and the Commonwealth Games. However, Scottish athletes join the Great Britain team for the Olympic Games.
Scottish people have made many important contributions to the history of sport. They helped develop sports like golf, curling, football, and rugby union. They also invented rugby sevens and created the first rules for water polo. The Highland games also influenced modern athletics events.
Highland games were huge festivals in the 1800s. Some people believe these games inspired Baron Pierre de Coubertin when he planned to bring back the Olympic Games. He saw a display of Highland games at an exhibition in Paris in 1889.
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Football in Scotland: A National Passion
Since the 1800s, football and rugby union have been the main types of football played in Scotland. Football, often called "fitba," has been much more popular since World War II.
Ancient Football Games
Scotland has a long history of traditional ball games, some dating back centuries. These early games were called "football" but were often very different from today's game. They sometimes involved carrying the ball. One such game, the Ba game, is still played annually in some towns, like the famous Kirkwall Ba Game in Orkney. These games were often quite rough, leading to many being stopped or changed over time.
Association Football: The Modern Game
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The very first official international football match happened in 1872 in Glasgow. It was between Scotland and England and ended in a 0–0 draw. After this, football quickly became Scotland's most popular sport. The Scottish Cup, first played in 1873, is the world's oldest national football trophy. Queen's Park F.C. in Glasgow is one of the oldest football clubs outside England.
In April 2025, experts found strong evidence of the oldest known football pitch near Anwoth Old Kirk. It dates back to at least 1627.
The Scottish Football Association (SFA) is the main group for Scottish football. It's the second-oldest national football association in the world. The SFA helped create the rules of the game and has a permanent spot on the International Football Association Board (IFAB). Scotland has hosted several international football events, including parts of UEFA Euro 2020. It is also scheduled to host parts of UEFA Euro 2028 and the 2035 FIFA Women's World Cup.
The SFA also manages the Scotland national football team. Their home stadium is Hampden Park in Glasgow. The team's fans are called the Tartan Army and are known for being friendly. They were especially praised at Euro 2024 in Germany. As of April 2025, Scotland's men's team is ranked 44th in the world. They last played in the FIFA World Cup in 1998. They qualified for the European Championships in 2020 and 2024.
The top club football league in Scotland is the Scottish Professional Football League (SPFL). In 2024, UEFA said the Scottish Premiership had the most fans per person in Europe.
The most successful teams are Rangers and Celtic, known as the Old Firm. They have won almost all the league titles since 1985. Celtic has won 120 trophies, making them one of the most successful teams in professional football worldwide. Other strong clubs include Aberdeen, Heart of Midlothian, and Hibernian.
Scottish clubs have also done well in European competitions. Rangers won the European Cup Winners' Cup in 1972. Aberdeen, led by Sir Alex Ferguson, famously beat Real Madrid to win the same cup in 1983. Celtic is the only Scottish team to win Europe's top competition, the Champions League (then called the European Cup), in 1967. Their win was special because all their players were born close to their home stadium, Celtic Park.
Rugby Union: A Strong Tradition
Scotland has a long rugby history. The world's oldest regular rugby match started in 1858 between two Edinburgh schools. The first-ever international rugby union game was played in Edinburgh in 1871, with Scotland winning against England.
The Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) was founded in 1873. It manages rugby union in Scotland. Scotland has hosted major rugby events, including the 1993 Rugby World Cup Sevens and matches during the 1991 Rugby World Cup.
Murrayfield Stadium in Edinburgh is the home of the Scotland national rugby union team. As of March 2025, Scotland ranks 7th in the world. The team plays in the annual Six Nations Championship and has been in every Rugby World Cup. Scottish players can also be chosen for the British and Irish Lions team.
Scotland has two professional teams, Edinburgh Rugby and Glasgow Warriors, who play in international leagues. Rugby union is very popular in the Scottish Borders region.
Rugby Sevens: A Scottish Invention
Rugby sevens is a faster version of rugby union. It was invented by Ned Haig, a butcher from Melrose, in 1883 to raise money for his local club. The first international sevens tournament was held in Scotland in 1973. This led to the creation of other international competitions, including the Rugby World Cup Sevens in 1993. The annual Melrose Sevens tournament is still very popular.
Scotland's Golf Courses: The Home of Golf
Scotland is known as the "home of golf." It has many famous links courses, like the Old Course at St Andrews, Carnoustie, and Muirfield. The first mention of golf being played was in Leith in 1457.
Scotland is a top place for golf, with some of the best courses in the world. Many famous courses are on the east coast, in areas called "links." There are also major courses at Gleneagles and Loch Lomond.
While people debate exactly where golf was invented in Scotland, the modern game was definitely shaped here. Many golf words, like caddy, links, and tee, come from the Scots language.
Traditional Stick and Bat Games
Shinty: A Highland Game
Shinty (or camanachd) is a traditional game of the Scottish Highlands. It is still widely played today, with clubs in major cities and universities. The Camanachd Association manages the sport.
The top prize in shinty is the Camanachd Cup. The Kingussie Camanachd team is known as the world's most successful sports team by the Guinness Book of Records. Shinty is similar to the Irish sport of Hurling.
Cricket in Scotland
Cricket is less popular in Scotland than in England. Scotland's national team plays in One Day Internationals and has competed in the Cricket World Cup. Scotland co-hosted the 1999 Cricket World Cup.
Cricket Scotland is the group that runs cricket in Scotland. In 2018, Scotland famously defeated England for the first time.
Ice Hockey: Fast-Paced Action
Ice hockey has a long and successful history in Scotland. It is the third most-watched team sport after football and rugby. The Fife Flyers are the oldest ice hockey team in Britain.
Currently, four Scottish teams play in the UK-wide Elite Ice Hockey League. Eight other professional teams compete in the Scottish National League. Scottish player Tony Hand was the first British ice hockey player to be drafted by an NHL team.
Other Popular Sports in Scotland
Curling: A Scottish Invention on Ice
Scotland is the birthplace of curling. While it's very popular in Canada, it's still more popular in Scotland than anywhere else in Europe. The Scottish men's team is the world's second most successful curling nation, with 36 World Championship medals, including seven golds. Their most recent gold wins were in 2023 and 2025. The Scottish women's team has won 12 World Championship medals, with golds in 2002 and 2013. In Mixed Doubles, Scotland won gold in 2021 and 2022.
Tennis: Scottish Stars on Court
Scottish tennis players compete as part of the Great Britain team. In recent years, Scotland has produced top players like Andy Murray and doubles players Colin Fleming and Jamie Murray. Andy Murray became the first British man to win the singles title at Wimbledon since 1936, winning in 2013 and 2016. His brother Jamie won the Wimbledon mixed doubles title in 2007.
Snooker: World Champions from Scotland
Scotland has produced many great snooker players. Walter Donaldson was the first Scottish World Champion, winning in 1947 and 1950.
Stephen Hendry is Scotland's most successful snooker player in modern times. He won the World Snooker Championship a record seven times, including five years in a row. He was also the youngest winner ever at 21 years old in 1990. Other Scottish champions include John Higgins and Graeme Dott. In 1996, the Scottish team won the Snooker World Cup.
Darts: Pub Sport to World Stage
Darts is a popular sport in Scotland, with many pubs having their own teams. Famous Scottish world champions include Jocky Wilson, Les Wallace, and Gary Anderson.
Cycling: Scottish Speed on Wheels
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Cycling is a popular amateur sport in Scotland. Scottish cyclists have been very successful in track cycling. Scotland has three velodromes, including the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome in Glasgow, built for the 2014 Commonwealth Games.
Chris Hoy is one of Scotland's most famous cyclists. At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, he won three gold medals, becoming the most successful British Olympian in over 100 years at that time. He was later knighted for his achievements. Other top cyclists include Robert Millar and Graeme Obree.
Traditional Scottish Events
Highland Games: A Test of Strength
The Highland Games are a special part of Scottish sports. Many annual games are held in the Scottish Highlands, like in Braemar and Dunoon. These games are also popular around the world where Scottish people have settled.
Events at the Highland Games often test strength, such as the weight over the bar and sheaf toss. There are also fun events like haggis hurling.
Scotland in International Competitions
Commonwealth Games: Hosting and Medals
Scotland is one of only six countries that have competed in every Commonwealth Games since they began in 1930.
Scotland has hosted the Commonwealth Games three times: in Edinburgh in 1970 and 1986, and in Glasgow in 2014. The first Commonwealth Youth Games were also held in Edinburgh in 2000. At the 2022 Commonwealth Games in Birmingham, England, Scotland won 51 medals.
Olympic Games: Scottish Olympic Heroes
Scottish athletes have competed in every Olympic Games as part of the Great Britain team. Launceston Elliot won Great Britain's first Olympic gold medal in 1896. Famous Scottish Olympians include Eric Liddell (whose story is in the film Chariots of Fire), Alan Wells, and Chris Hoy.
Scotland has won Olympic medals as "Scotland" in field hockey in 1908 and curling in 1924 and 2002. In 2009, golf and rugby sevens, both with Scottish roots, became Olympic sports.
Motorsport: Scottish Champions on Track and Rally
Scotland has a great history in motorsport, producing World Champions in racing on two, three, and four wheels.
Formula One: Racing Legends
Scotland has had several Formula One drivers. Innes Ireland won Lotus’ first Grand Prix in 1961. The most famous Scottish drivers are Jim Clark, who won two World Championships, and Jackie Stewart, who won three. David Coulthard was also very successful, finishing second in the World Drivers Championships in 2001.
Rallying: Off-Road Heroes
Scotland has a strong history in rallying. Colin McRae won the World Rally Championship in 1995. He was known for his exciting driving style. His father, Jimmy McRae, was a five-time British Rally Champion. In 2001, Robert Reid from Perthshire also won the World Rally Championship as a co-driver.
IndyCar: American Racing Success
IndyCar is a top American racing championship. Dario Franchitti is one of Scotland's most successful drivers in this sport. He won the IndyCar Series championship four times and the Indianapolis 500 three times. He retired in 2013 due to injuries. Jim Clark also won the Indianapolis 500 in 1965.
