£20M PLEDGED FOR SPORT FACILITIES
More than £20 million is to be used to improve sporting facilities for elite athletes and the general public in the wake of the Commonwealth Games.
The investment from sportscotland will be used along with money from local authorities and different sports governing bodies to add to existing sites and create some new centres.
The exact areas to benefit from the funding are yet to be finalised but a regional performance centre in Dundee, new facilities in Inverness, a redevelopment of Meadowbank in Edinburgh and an expansion of The Peak centre in Stirling are all under consideration.
The funding is to be prioritised where improvements are required, and Ayrshire and the Borders have also been identified as areas that could benefit.
Aberdeen Sports Village, the Sir Chris Hoy Velodrome, Edinburgh's Royal Commonwealth Pool and The Peak are already sports centres used by both athletes and the public, and sportscotland wants the latest strand of investment to encourage as many people as possible into sport.
Chief executive Stewart Harris said: "We have capitalised on Glasgow 2014 by accelerating our plans for a world-class sporting system at every level thanks to National Lottery and Scottish Government funding, and today's £20 million investment announcement is a significant milestone in delivering even more excellent sporting facilities for the people of Scotland and performance athletes to use."
Sport Secretary Shona Robison said the funding will create a "lasting legacy" from Glasgow 2014.
"We are committed to making Scotland a healthier nation, from helping people of all ages to enjoy sport to supporting athletes to compete at the highest level," Ms Robison said.
"By working with local authorities and sporting bodies, the National and Regional Facilities Fund will create a lasting legacy from the Games for years to come."
The funding was announced in Dundee today, one of the cities that could benefit from a share of the £20 million.
Deputy Lord Provost Christina Roberts said: "This is excellent news for Scotland and sport across the country. By creating new facilities and enhancing existing ones, it will help the country make waves in sport and carry on the 2014 Commonwealth Games legacy for years to come.
"Sportscotland already helps Dundee's young people by investing in the Dick McTaggart Gymnastics Centre, and I look forward to seeing how today's announcement will further benefit the city and Scotland as a whole."
