sportscotland’s Information Service receives enquiries on various aspects of sport in Scotland, particularly from those studying sport and recreation. The following information is designed to answer the most common enquiries.
How do I find out about taking part in a particular sport?
Most sports have a governing body that is responsible for organising the activity.
For a list of governing bodies with contact details, click on the Governing Body contact info link in the "See also" box on the right of the screen.
How can I find out about a particular sport in my local area and nationally?
Most sports have a governing body that is responsible for organisation of the activity. Many of them have a website with information on clubs throughout Scotland.
For a list of governing bodies with contact details, click on the Governing Body contact info link in the "See also" box on the right of the screen.
Also your local authority may be able to provide information on sports facilities in your area.
For a list of local authorities with contact details, click on the Local Authority contact info link in the "See also" box on the right of the screen.
What is the most popular sport in Scotland that people take part in?
The most popular sports for young people (age 8-15) are football, swimming, cycling, and running/jogging.
Since 1987 sportscotland has collected data on adult sports participation. From 1997 we have also collected information on young people’s participation. The sample is obtained every second month through a survey of Scottish households.
The most recent data from 2001 shows an adult participation rate of 64 per cent (that is, 64% of the adult population have taken part in at least one sport or physical recreation activity in the last four weeks). The most popular activities are walking (32%), swimming (22%), football (11%), cycling (10%), golf (10%), keep fit/aerobics (9%), dancing (9%), snooker/billiards/pool (8%), tenpin bowling (6%), multigym/weight training (7%).
For a list of sportscotland publications on participation in sport, click on the link in the "See also" box on the right of the screen.
I need information on sportscotland for a college project.
Good places to start are the Who we are and What we do sections of our website, and our corporate plan for an idea of our current activities and priorities. It would also be useful to gain an understanding of the Scottish Government's National Strategy for Sport "Reaching higher: building on the success of Sport 21", as this strategy underpins everything we do.
You can download our latest corporate plan from the "See also" box on the right of the screen.
You can download our latest annual report from the "See also" box on the right of the screen.
You can download "Reaching higher: building on the success of Sport 21" from the "See also" box on the right of the screen.
How do I find out about a career in sport?
To find out about sources of information on careers in sport, click on the "Careers in sport" link in the "See Also" box on the right of the screen.
Our Jobs section gives details of vacancies at sportscotland, as well as other sport-related vacancies. You can visit our Jobs section from the "See also" box on the right of the screen.
How do I/our team obtain funding?
sportscotland works in partnership with eligible organisations such as local authorities and sports governing bodies to provide investment in all areas of sport.
For information on this type of funding, please click on the Funding link in the "See also" box on the right of the screen.
For information on Awards for All, please click on the Awards for All link in the "See also" box on the right of the screen.
We can also help you if you are looking for sponsorship. The Scottish Government's Sportsmatch scheme is designed to act as an incentive for businesses to sponsor grass roots sport in Scotland. We administer this scheme on behalf of the Scottish Government.
For information on Sportsmatch, please click on the Sportsmatch link in the "See also" box on the right of the screen.
It is also advisable to contact any of the following for further advice and information:
- your local sports council
- your local authority leisure and recreation department
- the governing body for your sport.
See the links in the "See also" box on the right of the screen for contact details for these organisations.
Where can I get information on drugs in sport?
The organisation UK Sport has responsibility for monitoring drugs in sport.
To access their drugs information database, please click on the link in the "See also" box on the right of the screen.
