Selkirk Youth Rugby Club is celebrating today the completion of their new pavilion and changing facility; constructed with the support of £41,288 from the sportscotland Lottery Fund. The modernised pavilion is expected to attract increased amounts of interest from various organisations as well as young members of the local community.

Following the announcement by sportscotland last week of significant changes to its Talented Athlete Programme (TAP) two prominent squash players are set to benefit from the new funding structure.

The Scottish Triathlon Association is celebrating Christmas early with the announcement of funding to support their junior squads and elite athletes through sportscotland Lottery Fund's Junior Group and Talented Athlete Programmes.

Having had time to fully consider the findings of the Devlopment Audit on Shinty, both the Camanachd Association and sportscotland today welcomed the conclusions of the report by external consultants 'Genesis' and are confident they have agreed on a way forward.

The sportscotland Lottery Fund has announced the latest round of Sports Facilities awards, allocating nearly £2.2M to projects throughout Scotland. In line with Scotland’s national strategy for sport, Sport 21, the awards continue sportscotland’s commitment to backing projects in priority areas, ensuring that communities who need sporting facilities the most are given the highest level of support.

sportscotland have commissioned Edinburgh based golf consultants MW Associates, to carry out a detailed assessment of the condition of Scotland's golf courses.

In a year that has seen elite athlete funding regularly under the spotlight, and following the publication of the Cunningham Review into the subject from a UK perspective, sportscotland today announced a number of significant changes to its Talented Athlete Programme (TAP). These changes are designed to assist athletes particularly at the top end of the funding structure, give greater flexibility within some of the funding categories, whilst ensuring that recipients of funding commit to representing Scotland in the international arena.

The Commonwealth Games Federation has now considered appeals relating to eligibility cases of a number of potential Games athletes including four from Scotland.

Following the handing over of the Development Audit Report from the independent consultants to both the Camanachd Association and sportscotland, Donnie Grant, President of the Camanachd Association, and Ian Robson, Chief Executive of sportscotland met to discuss both organisation's initial views on the report's findings.

At the Royal Museum in Edinburgh today, Olympic and Commonwealth gold medallist sprinter, Allan Wells MBE, joined the new Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, Mike Watson, MSP, to launch the search for Scotland's first 50 inductees into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame (SSHOF) which is being developed through a unique partnership between sportscotland and the National Museums of Scotland.

The Islands Forum, in partnership with sportscotland, today announced progress in its aim to further integrate the island communities of Scotland with mainstream Scottish Sport.

With less than a week to go before Scotland’s National Diving Squad set out for South Africa for warm weather training prior to the competing at the South African Novice and Age Group Nationals in Johannesburg from 10 – 14 December, the team is undergoing final preparations at the Royal Commonwealth Pool, Edinburgh.

Coupar Angus Recreation Association (CARA) today welcomes local hero Alan Main from St Johnstone Football Club, as guest of honour at the official opening of the all weather multi-court facility in Larghan Park, Coupar Angus.

Tonight (Friday 23 November) marked the first of seven fundraising dinners in aid of the Bank of Scotland Scottish Team competing at the Commonwealth Games in Manchester next summer. The Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland’s Annual Sponsorship Awards Dinner was held at the Thistle Hotel in Glasgow.

At Easter Road Stadium in Edinburgh today, Allan Wilson, MSP, Deputy Minister for Sport, the Arts and Culture teamed up with representatives of Scotland's key football bodies to announce the formation of the Scottish Football Partnership. This new grant making body, which met officially for the first time today, replaces the Football Trust, which had a UK-wide remit and was wound up in March 2000.

The sportscotland Lottery Fund has allocated £2.8m over four years to TOP initiatives throughout Scotland, with 13 local authorities now bringing more sport than ever into Scotland’s primary schools and local communities.

The Scottish Institute of Sport today announced its future plans for their Football Programme. The focus of the programme will be that of individual support to a number of Scotland's best young footballers who have the potential to really make their mark on the senior international stage in the years ahead.

Tayside Sports Development Group (TSDG) is celebrating its fifth successful year of funding from the sportscotland Lottery Fund’s Junior Groups Programme, which provides talented young athletes a comprehensive training and competition programme to progress up to senior, national and ultimately, international level.

With only 250 days to go until the competition gets underway at the 2002 Commonwealth Games, squad members of the Bank of Scotland Scottish Team are being advised that they will need a valid passport despite the Games being just south of the border in Manchester.

The Scottish Institute of Sport today announced the resignation of Meg Stone from her position as National High Performance Coach leading the innovative Institute track and field programme.

The Balfron Campus is a new multi-purpose community sports facility located at Balfron High School. The facility, which has a brand new four court games hall, floodlit artificial grass pitch, swimming pool and changing rooms, will open its doors to the local community this weekend.

Today, sportscotland's Lottery Fund announced the start of the £10 million swimming pool upgrade programme designed to kick-start the process of investment into Scotland's deteriorating stock of swimming pools.

As Scottish athletes begin training programmes designed to give them the best possible chance of selection to the Bank of Scotland Scottish Team for next year’s Commonwealth Games in Manchester, sportscotland has announced the latest round of its Lottery funded Talented Athlete Programme (TAP) awards.

Commonwealth Games boxing hopefuls Colin McNeil and Kevin Anderson will be adding muscle to the grand opening of a new Community Sports and Recreation Centre in Fauldhouse when they go head to head in a sparring session as part of the ceremony. Following the appointment of new Polish coach, Adam Kuzior, Colin and Kevin will be busy training in preparation for selection to compete in the Games next year.

Another three secondary schools in Aberdeenshire are set to benefit from a School Sport Co-ordinator thanks to an award of £18,900 over two years from the sportscotland Lottery Fund. The schools, Aboyne Academy, Alford Academy and The Gordon Schools, bring the total to seven Aberdeenshire secondary schools working within the initiative.

With only two weeks to go until the first stage of ticket sales for next year's Commonwealth Games in Manchester closes, Louise Martin, Chairman of the Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland is urging the Scottish public to order their tickets and get behind the Bank of Scotland Scottish Team.

The draw for the hockey tournament in next year’s Commonwealth Games was announced this week with the Bank of Scotland Scottish women's team set to face stiff opposition in pool 1 in the form of Australia, South Africa and Jamaica.

The Scottish Institute of Sport today announced the new squad of track and field athletes who benefit from the Institute's elite level support programmes. The focus of the Track and Field Programme remains that of support to a number of Scotland's best athletes, with the aim of helping them improve, while also introducing a new priority on young athletes with the potential for success on the world stage.

At the Royal Museum in Edinburgh today, Olympic and Commonwealth gold medallist sprinter, Allan Wells MBE, joined the new Minister for Tourism, Culture and Sport, Mike Watson, MSP, to launch the search for Scotland's first 50 inductees into the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame (SSHOF) which is being developed through a unique partnership between sportscotland and the National Museums of Scotland.

The £158,000 redevelopment of Kingston Playing Fields, supported by an award of £95,000 from the sportscotland Lottery Fund, will give a tremendous boost to sports facilities in the area. The project to replace two blaes pitches with two new natural grass sports areas plus improvements to the entrance and car park will enable the facility to provide a regular programme of training and organised matches for the residents and local schools.

The GB curling squad, made up entirely of Scots, will no doubt be a source of inspiration for the young talented winter sport athletes who are celebrating awards from the sportscotland Lottery Fund. Awards totalling £80,000 have been made to two groups through the Lottery Fund’s Junior Groups programme, which aims to help young people to progress to senior, national and ultimately, international level, through participation in comprehensive training and competition programmes.

The Scottish Volleyball Association (SVA) has received a welcome boost from the sportscotland Lottery Fund through its Talented Athlete Programme (TAP), which today has awarded £72,000 in total to 24 members of the national men's squad.

Scottish Institute of Sport today announced the appointment of Ross Jack as their Football Coach. Ross, 42, will take the lead in developing the Institute’s football programme, which will be designed to identify and nurture potential Scotland players of the future.

The £180,000 Clyde Muirshiel Park Authority’s Semple Water Access iNitiative (SWAN) project, supported by an award of £73,500 from the sportscotland Lottery Fund, includes new, larger pontoons, a beach area for windsurfers, the first outdoor canoe polo pitches in Scotland, dedicated pedestrian and cycle routes and wheelchair friendly pontoons and tarmac parking for disabled users.

sportscotland today announced that the Borders and Dumfries and Galloway are set to benefit from new priority status under the latest revisions to the Lottery Fund Sports Facilities Programme. This initiative is one of a number to stimulate economic regeneration in these two areas directly affected by the outbreak of Foot and Mouth Disease.

Scottish Squash is celebrating sportscotland Lottery Fund’s announcement of more funding to help nurture sporting stars of the future. They received an award for £39,991 made through the Fund’s Junior Groups Programme, which aims to help young people to progress to senior, national and ultimately, international level, through more training and taking part in competition programmes.

Some of Scotland’s top swimmers, badminton players and wrestlers were on the receiving end of nearly a quarter of million pounds today, thanks to the sportscotland Lottery Fund.

2001 heralds the International Year of the Volunteer. In recognition of this and to pay tribute to the people who work so hard, sportscotland with its partners are combining the Coach of the Year and the National Service to Sport Awards. The ceremony hopes to raise the profile of volunteers and coaches by celebrating their dedication to Scottish sport.

The Scottish Rugby Union (SRU) has received a second maximum award of £40,000 made through the Fund’s Junior Groups Programme, which aims to help young people to progress to senior, national and ultimately, international level through more training and taking part in competition programmes.

Deputy Minister for Sport, the Arts and Culture, Allan Wilson MSP will launch a new avalanche safety initiative this week in the heart of the Highlands

Dumfries and Galloway cyclists are celebrating today the opening of the cycle path between Tinwald Downs Road and Dumfries Railway Station. With the support of a sportscotland Lottery Fund award of £321,140, the £1.1 million project forms a major part of Dumfries and Galloway Council’s Cycling/Access Initiative, a network of urban cycleways, which has links to the National Cycle Network.

With just less than 300 days to go until the start of the Commonwealth Games in Manchester next year, the Scottish Bowling Association have today announced their nominations for the Bank of Scotland Scottish Team.

Deputy Minister for Sport, the Arts and Culture, Allan Wilson MSP, was in Irvine today to meet with the 12 School Sport Co-ordinators now working two days a week throughout North Ayrshire. The posts have been made possible by an award of £63,000 over two years to the local council from the sportscotland Lottery Fund.

Grangemouth Stadium, Falkirk, is to undergo an extension and upgrade of the existing regional indoor athletics facility this winter thanks to an award of just over £1M announced today from the sportscotland Lottery Fund Sports Facilities Programme.

sportscotland today announced significant changes to its Lottery funded Sports Facilities Programme, to help facility providers and operators address the growing funding challenge around provision, refurbishment and replacement of Scotland's sports facilities.

As the new school year gets well underway, sportscotland's Lottery Fund have today announced the allocation of nearly £1M of awards to eight local authorities for the continuing introduction of the TOP programmes into Scotland's primary schools and local communities. This brings the total number of local authorities now delivering the scheme to 13.

Young talented athletes all over Scotland are celebrating today the announcement of more financial support from the sportscotland Lottery Fund to help create sporting successes of the future.

Aberdeen City Council is celebrating today the opening of the Jesmond Centre, a new sports facility in Bridge of Don. City of Aberdeen, Lord Provost, Margaret E Smith, will officially open the centre. The day has an impressive programme of displays and ‘come and try’ activities for the public including badminton, trampolining, dance and drama, Choi Kwang Do and indoor athletics. Free face painting, the UDI Aberdeen City Band, free refreshments and a raffle will also mark the occasion.

Getting lost in the hills in deteriorating weather conditions is a frightening prospect for most of us. Yet hundreds of people every year go out into the hills ill equipped and with little or no training in the art of navigation. An exciting new hi-tech solution has gone on release this week, funded by sportscotland with support from Ordnance Survey, aimed at improving navigation and map-reading skills through the medium of computers and ultimately improving individual safety.

Scotland's swimming pools will require £540 million re-investment in them by the year 2020 if they are to continue to serve the needs of the population. This is equivalent to £25 million per year at 1998 prices.

Pamela Nimmo, Scotland's number 1 female squash player, is celebrating this week following an award of over £25,000 from the sportscotland Lottery Fund Talented Athlete Programme (TAP). Five Scottish squash players have also been given over £43,000 from the TAP fund

Over 1,000 Moray students will benefit from National Lottery Funds announced by sportscotland today. £6,300 has been awarded to Moray Council for the two year appointment of a School Sports Co-ordinator at Forres Academy

In the week of the rearranged six Nations fixture between Scotland and Ireland at Murrayfield, the rugby festivities are starting early when Deputy Minister for Sport, The Arts and Culture, Allan Wilson MSP will officially open the new grass pitches and Clubhouse at Dumbreck the home of Cartha Queens Park Rugby Football Club tonight to celebrate the completion of its £600,000 project.

HRH The Princess Royal will give the royal seal of approval to the new clubhouse/disabled sailing centre at Loch Venachar Sailing Club when she officially opens the facility this week. With support of £137,045 from the sportscotland Lottery Fund towards a total cost of £305,000, the new clubhouse will provide changing rooms for users and launching facilities for disabled sailors, secure rescue boat storage, race management and training accommodation.

The Scottish Badminton Union today announced their squad of players, all aspiring to be included in the Bank of Scotland Scottish Team at next year's Commonwealth Games. The squad will be bolstered by news that the sportscotland Lottery Fund has just announced considerable investment in the development of Scottish badminton by awarding nearly £1.9M towards the construction of a National Badminton Academy in Glasgow.

Only as Scotland is close to being declared Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) free, are we becoming truly aware of the crucial economic significance of the outdoor recreation sector and the contribution it makes to the rural economy. This will be the focus of a national conference being held on Tuesday 11 September, at which Alasdair Morrison, MSP, Deputy Minister for Tourism will give the keynote address, facilitating detailed discussion and debate on the issue from all sides of the outdoor community.

The Scottish Badminton Union today announced their squad of players, all aspiring to be included in the Bank of Scotland Scottish Team at next year's Commonwealth Games. The squad will be bolstered by news that the sportscotland Lottery Fund has just announced considerable investment in the development of Scottish badminton by awarding nearly £1.9M towards the construction of a National Badminton Academy in Glasgow.

Members of Guildtown Hall Paying Fields Association are celebrating the end of construction work on a Lottery Funded project to build a synthetic grass multi-court. Made possible with the help of £31,000 from the sportscotland Lottery Fund, the new multi–use games area will enable the community and the local primary school to participate in a variety of sports such as tennis, basketball, netball and hockey.

Members of Guildtown Hall Paying Fields Association are celebrating the end of construction work on a project to build a synthetic grass multi-court. Made possible with the help of £31,000 from the sportscotland Lottery Fund, the new multi–use games area will enable the community and the local primary school to participate in a variety of sports such as tennis, basketball, netball and hockey.

Scottish Disability Sport (SDS) was given a boost today with the announcement of six individual Talented Athlete Programme (TAP) awards totalling nearly £17,000 from the sportscotland Lottery Fund. Continuing its programme of investing in the development of top Scottish performers, the TAP programme provides financial support to top performers and to athletes with the potential to perform at the highest level.

Deputy Minister for Sport, the Arts and Culture Allan Wilson arrived at Renfrew's Moorpark sports field earlier today to witness personally the impact sportscotland Lottery funding will have on sporting facilities in the Social Inclusion Partnership (SIP) area of Paisley.

One hundred and forty of Scotland’s top disabled bowlers are set to converge on Westburn Park in Aberdeen this Saturday, 1st September, for the Royal Mail National Lawn Bowls Championship 2001.

Scotland’s shooters have their sights clearly set on next year's Commonwealth Games following considerable success at the Commonwealth Shooting Federation Championships in Bisley, Surrey this week, taking 4 gold, 1 silver and 2 bronze with three days of the competition still remaining.

From Alexander Graham Bell to John Logie Baird, Scotland is justifiably proud of its reputation both as a nation of innovators and as the 'Home of Golf', at a time when Scotland is challenging strongly with its bid to host the Ryder Cup in 2009. These key Scottish qualities can be seen coming together in the environmental transformation that has taken place at Pumpherston, near Livingston, West Lothian, over recent years.

In order to ensure the squad is given every possible advantage going into the Games, the sportscotland Lottery Fund, through its Talented Athlete Programme (TAP), has made an award of over £200,000 to ten players. The award will be used to help fund a coaching programme, which will be implemented through the Scottish Institute of Sport, and for players to train and compete overseas so that they have been well exposed to the teams they will face in Salt Lake City.

With less than a year to go to the Commonwealth Games in Manchester and coinciding with the announcement that judo has become one of the core sports endorsed by the Scottish Institute of Sport, sportscotland has awarded 15 of the country’s top judo players with Lottery Fund awards from their Talented Athlete Programme (TAP).

Sir Jimmy Saville OBE will perform the opening ceremony today at the Lochnell Sports Development Partnership’s (LSDP) new floodlit, all weather, multi court located within the grounds of Lochnell School, Benderloch. With the support of a £32,500 award from the sportscotland Lottery Fund, the new multi court will significantly expand the sporting opportunities for the school and the wider community

The local community of Duns are celebrating the opening of a new tennis court and the completion of refurbishment for existing courts today, made possible by a sportscotland Lottery Award of £29,150. Lord Palmer, of Manderston, will perform the official ribbon cutting.

The tranquil village of Connel, boasting spectacular views of Loch Etive, the mountain scenery beyond from Beinn Lora to Ben Cruachan and the only salt waterfall in Scotland known as the Falls of Lora, is the picturesque setting today for the Connel Millennium Sports Field Association’s official opening of its new grass pitch and car park.

Motivation will be the key input and output for Scotland's leading coaches who will be gathering at Coach 2001 in Glasgow 20-21 October to hear from some of the world's top coaching experts, keen to share their knowledge and experience of the world coaching scene.

At the Commonwealth Games Federation (CGF) General Assembly meeting held in Manchester (26 July 2001) the CGF Executive met and considered applications from the Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland (CGCS) for dispensation from eligibility requirements for a number of Scottish athletes. Both the CGCS and the athletes were hoping that a positive outcome would leave them clear for selection (subject to meeting selection criteria) for the Bank of Scotland Scottish Team, which will be competing in next year’s Commonwealth Games in Manchester.

The Scottish Institute of Sport today announced that golf and judo are set to benefit from inclusion as core sports which will enable them to take advantage of the Institute’s elite level support programmes which are already starting to benefit many of Scotland's top athletes.

Only as Foot and Mouth Disease (FMD) appears to be receding in Scotland are we becoming truly aware of the crucial economic significance of the outdoor recreation sector and the contribution it makes to the rural economy. This will be the focus of a conference facilitating detailed discussion and debate on the issue from all sides of the outdoor community.

Construction work has now started on the £1.1M operations 'hub', which marks another milestone in the development of the Scottish Institute of Sport. The Institute has a clear focus on elite level sport and provides programmes and support services for many of Scotland's top athletes to ensure they progress to the highest possible level in the international sporting arena. The purpose built hub will help to establish the Institute's identity and emphasise this elite focus.

The Scottish Association of Blind Bowlers are the proud host of the 2001 World Blind Bowling Championships from 6 - 17 August at Girvan Bowling Club, the first time this prestigious event has been held in Scotland.

The new state-of-the-art all weather pitch, being created by Argyll and Bute Council supported by an award of over £350,000 from the sportscotland Lottery Fund, will replace an existing playing field used by local schools. Due to poor drainage and lack of funds, many of the youth football teams have been unable to play for long periods and were forced to postpone more and more home matches.

The local football club of Carloway on the picturesque Isle of Lewis, home to timid species such as otters, seals and dolphins are celebrating the opening of a new changing facility today with the support of an award of £32,500 from the sportscotland Lottery Fund.

sportscotland Lottery Fund today announced more funding to help create the sporting champions of the future, with a major award to talented young boxers already proving their mettle in international competitions.

An award of over £71,000 from the sportscotland Lottery Fund has been announced today for a joint SGU and SLGA initiative. The application from the golfing governing bodies is the first of its kind and is designed to both promote participation and nurture home-grown talent in the national game for both boys and girls.

Today however, the golfing community of Dalbeattie are not only celebrating the spectacular views, but the opening of a new course extension as part of the Buffer Cup competition.

Rangers Football Club is celebrating the opening of its new training complex at Auchenhowie, Milngavie today with the unveiling of a plaque by David Murray, the Rangers Chairman and Dick Advocaat, the Rangers Manager. This is the first custom-built complex of its kind in Scottish football.

Twenty young people from schools throughout Angus, West Lothian and East Lothian were recently rewarded with a trip to St Andrews to participate in the Millennium Volunteers: Sport Leadership Programme for Young People's two day residential camp as thanks for their work leading other youngsters in community sport. The camp was held at the Sports Centre at St Andrews University.

Today the golfing community of Balfron are celebrating the completion of a project to extend the Shian Golf Course from nine holes to eighteen

The community of Cowal are today celebrating the start of a £150,000 project to build an all-weather multipurpose synthetic grass playing field.

With recent studies showing that obese and overweight children now account for over 15 per cent of the Scottish youth population, sportscotland has committed £2.8m of Lottery funds over four years to introduce a programme that will increase physical activity levels among Scotland's primary school children

With recent studies showing that obese and overweight children now account for over 15 per cent of the Scottish youth population, sportscotland has committed £2.8m of Lottery funds over four years to introduce a programme that will increase physical activity levels among Scotland's primary school children.

With recent studies showing that obese and overweight children now account for over 15 per cent of the Scottish youth population, sportscotland has committed £2.8m of Lottery funds over four years to introduce a programme that will increase physical activity levels among Scotland's primary school children.

With recent studies showing that obese and overweight children now account for over 15 per cent of the Scottish youth population, sportscotland has committed £2.8M of Lottery funds over four years to introduce a programme that will increase physical activity levels among Scotland's primary school children

The first official Sprint meeting at Kames Motorsport Complex this year will be celebrated with the reopening of the new track by Jimmy McRae, three times British Rally Champion in the 1980's and father of works rally drivers Colin and Alister.

Deputy First Minister and Minister for Justice, Jim Wallace MSP, joined representatives of COSLA and Ian Robson, Chief Executive of sportscotland, at the Pickaquoy Leisure Centre on Orkney today to launch the Islands Forum. This new sporting development brings together Scotland's three unitary island authorities, Comhairle nan Eilean Siar, Orkney Islands Council and Shetland Islands Council, plus the three other Councils with islands - Argyll & Bute Council, North Ayrshire Council and The Highland Council, in collaboration with sportscotland, the national agency for sport.

The Scottish Institute of Sport and the Scottish Rugby Union today unveiled seven new recruits identified as most likely to provide the core of future Scotland international teams.

Lossiemouth High School and Community Centre are celebrating the opening of its new teaching and recreation facilities today, performed by Councillor Sandy Keith, Chair of the Educational Resources Committee.

Just 48 hours after competing in her first World Cup Series event of the year in Seville, Scottish Olympic rowing silver medallist Katherine Grainger took time out to return to her former primary school to thank pupils for their wholehearted support during last year's successful Sydney Olympic campaign.