University archive receives red carpet treatment

Items from Scotland’s sporting past shared the limelight with some of the country’s top sporting stars on the red carpet at a prestigious awards ceremony this week.

A selection of items from the Commonwealth Games Scotland Archive, housed at the University of Stirling, were on show at the Team Scotland Scottish Sports Awards. Arriving for the glittering ceremony, guests walked an entrance way lined with memorabilia from Scotland’s rich sporting heritage.

The display featured items from all 21 Commonwealth Games, from Hamilton 1930 to Gold Coast 2018, including team kit and mascots. The very first Scottish team mascot from 1970 even made a guest appearance.

The first Team Scotland mascot from the 1970 British Commonwealth Games, which were held in Edinburgh

The items form part of the University of Stirling’s ‘Hosts and Champions: Scotland in the Commonwealth Games’ touring exhibition which celebrates more than 80 years of participation and achievement in the Commonwealth Games.

Drawn from the Commonwealth Games Scotland Archive and associated collections held by the University of Stirling, the exhibition displays a selection of photographs, designs, clothing, papers and artefacts which evoke a rich story of Scotland's involvement in the Games, including as hosts in 1970, 1986 and 2014.

Developed with the support of Legacy 2014 and Commonwealth Games Scotland the exhibition has toured Scotland since March 2015, visiting venues in towns across the country, from Lerwick to Hawick.

The University of Stirling has been crowned the UK’s Sports University of the Year 2020 by The Times and Sunday Times Good University Guide. It is the first time a Scottish university has received the distinguished accolade and it builds on Stirling’s longstanding designation as Scotland’s University for Sporting Excellence.