Hailing from Kirkwall, Orkney, Bev Campbell has been on a longer journey than most to reach the top tier of Scottish Netball.
Born and bred as a true Orcadian, Bev started playing Netball in primary school and quickly rose through the ranks, to compete in U15, U17 and U19 for Scotland. However, with the Scottish Netball team training in the central belt and Bev living in one of the furthest northern islands, the 640 mile roundtrip soon became part of a normal weekend. Sacrificing weekends and regularly putting her social life on the backburner to be part of the Scottish squad, she became well acquainted with the overnight boat to Aberdeen, followed by the train journey south.
Finally, achieving a place in the Scottish U21 team coincided with the inevitable relocation to Glasgow and she claims friendships have made the move to big city life much easier: “Looking back on it, I would say a lot of my best friendships have been made through netball and they make the travelling worthwhile. I love my sport.”
Recently completing her studies in Health Fitness and Exercise at North Glasgow College, Bev does admit the transition from Orkney with a population of a little more than 20,000, to Glasgow with a population of 598,800 has been a challenge at times: “I’ve made good friends down here, especially around the netball squads but I still miss my family. I still don’t know everyone and there are a lot more people here than up in Orkney. I’m adapting to life away from home and family but I have training to keep my busy, there is a lot more opportunities to train down her.”
Very proud of her roots, Bev explained: “It’s a huge honour to represent Scotland but the chance to represent Orkney and put it on the sporting map would mean so much. There are a lot of talented athletes there but not many manage to get far because they don’t have the facilities or opportunities people down here do. It would maybe prove to people there that you can actually do it, even if you feel isolated.”Netball player Campbell is properly proud of such origins. “It’s a huge honour to represent Scotland but the chance to represent Orkney and put it on the sporting map would mean so much,” she explains. “There are a lot of talented athletes there but not many manage to get far because they don’t have the facilities or opportunities people down here do. It would maybe prove to people there that you can actually do it, even if you feel isolated.”
Now aged 20, the young Scottish Thistle is on the last lap of the selection jouney to Glasgow 2014 and is currently preparing for a tough challenge as the New Zealand Silver Ferns come to town for two exhibition games at the Emirates Arena on Sunday 12th January and Tuesday 14th January. The Silver Ferns are defending Commonwealth Champions (Delhi 2010) and offers a warm-up for next summer as the two countries will meet in the preliminary stages of Glasgow 2014. We wish Bev and the team all the very best.
For tickets to the two exhibition games, call: 0141 353 8000.
You can follow Bev on Twitter @Bevvaila
Photo Credit: Scottish Netball
Scotland’s past sporting heroes have united to get behind Team Scotland and share their hopes for how the 2014 Commonwealth Games can inspire future athletes and the nation as a whole as they look ahead to next summer’s event.
The 21 stars, including gold medallists Allan Wells, Gregor Tait, Steve Frew and Shirley McIntosh, have spoken about their personal Games journey, the support they had from their communities, and the impact representing Scotland has had on their lives.
With the Games on the horizon, the sportsmen and women highlighted how previous Commonwealth Games stars inspired them to succeed, with many going on to create their own legacy by coaching and mentoring Scotland’s next generation of athletes.
Their stories are featured on the Legacy 2014 website – http://www.legacy2014.co.uk/ – which details the national legacy programmes underway to ensure positive and lasting benefits are created from the XX Commonwealth Games in communities across Scotland. They can also be found on the Team Scotland official supporters website www.goscotland.org in the Pride in Our Past section.
Allan Wells, a name synonymous with Commonwealth Games success with six medal wins from two consecutive Games, spoke about how the 1970 Commonwealth Games in Edinburgh had a huge role in his sporting success.
Allan said: “A small part of the legacy from the Commonwealth Games coming to Edinburgh in 1970 was the new track built at Meadowbank Stadium. For me, it is a small legacy, which has had an immense impact on my life.
“And whilst the Games as an event is for the athletes, the legacy is for the people of Glasgow and Scotland. I hope seeing new world-class facilities being built on their doorsteps will inspire more young people to get active and for those already involved in sport, to get to the next level. Having the Commonwealth Games come to Edinburgh all those years ago certainly did this for me and I look forward to what the Games will mean for future generations to come.”
With Team Scotland in training for what will be the biggest event of their sporting career, boxing Commonwealth gold medallist Dick McTaggart from Dundee, added how important it is for the whole nation to get behind the team in the lead up to 2014.
The boxing legend who was crowned Commonwealth champion at the 1958 Games in Cardiff and remembers the effect the cheering crowd had on him as he boxed his way to gold.
He said: “The support at home is a huge factor for a fighter and when I competed in Cardiff it was a home crowd for me. To this day I still remember walking into the arena with everyone cheering my name and our young fighters will have that experience in Glasgow next year. Nothing can match it and it does give you that edge.”
Dick believes the Games offers a big potential for the country: “Hosting an event such as the Commonwealth Games is a huge honour; I want it to inspire more people to get involved in sport, even just for fun. It’s given me some amazing memories and I hope the Games will inspire many more people to get involved.”
For badminton star Susan Egelstaff, who represented Scotland in three Commonwealth Games, winning team bronze at Manchester 2002 and individual bronze at Melbourne 2006, the legacy of the Games in 2014 is just as important as the sporting prowess the world will witness over the 11-day competition.
She says: “It’s so exciting to be part of the Commonwealth Games and I hope more young Scots see just how much it has impacted lives like mine and feel inspired to reach for their own goals. If I manage to encourage even just one person to pick up a badminton racquet and give it a go then I’ve done something right!”
As Scotland’s most successful ever athlete in a single Commonwealth Games, Gregor Tait who originally hails from Glasgow expressed how a Games on Scottish soil is something we can all benefit from, for generations to come.
He said: “I know Scotland can put on the greatest show of all time and put our compact country on the map – after all, people only need to see how amazing a place it is to fall in love with it.
“But it’s important that the Games also do more than just create an incredible atmosphere. I certainly think the Games will help inspire a generation to try out new activities and ultimately catapult Scotland to being a powerhouse in world sport. It’s a legacy which is already being built with new infrastructure and facilities and I’m sure the buzz will encourage Scots to get involved.”
As a 15-times medallist in the Paralympic Games and proud competitor for Team Scotland at Manchester 2002, para-swimmer Paul Noble knows all about the buzz and excitement that accompanies a big multi-sport event and for him the Games offers real opportunities for the sporting heroes of the future.
He said: “It’s especially great for young people with disabilities to see para-athletes not just competing on the world stage but right on their doorsteps too. It shows just what can be achieved if you work hard for it and hopefully might inspire a new generation of young para-athletes in Scotland to take up sport.”
The stories and thoughts of all 21 sporting heroes can be read at: http://www.leagcy2014.co.uk/
It really is third time lucky for hammer thrower Susan McKelvie, who missed out on a place in Team Scotland for both the Melbourne and Delhi Games but was named in the first batch of selected athletes for Glasgow 2014.
In throwing 79cm short of the Melbourne qualification and 14cm short of the Delhi qualification standard the 28 year old lost so much confidence in missing out on selection last time around that she even considered giving up, but that is now a distant memory.
“For me being selected is a massive day because the last two times I’ve missed out, so I still can’t quite believe it that I’m going to be representing Scotland at the Games,” said McKelvie whose partner, fellow hammer thrower Andy Frost, was also selected for the team on the same day.
It has been a good end to a hard year for the hammer throwing couple from Broxburn in West Lothian. They lost their long term coach Alan Bertram to cancer in May. Then weeks later Frost’s mother succumbed to the same illness.
Thirty two year old Frost will be hoping Glasgow is also third time lucky for him having competed in the Melbourne and Delhi Games, on both occasions just missing out on a medal.
“I missed out on a medal the last two Commonwealth Games by a few centimetres each time, so there is some unfinished business for next year,” said Edinburgh Leisure employee Frost, admitting it was hard leaving McKelvie behind when he headed to the previous Games.
“It’s a relief for both of us because if one isn’t picked then it obviously affects the other.
“Delhi was a difficult situation because I was really happy being picked for the Commonwealth Games but disappointed for Susan as well. It was a hard situation to deal with and the same thing happened in Melbourne as well so we’ve had it twice.”
The pair are clearly inseparable. They practise throwing together on a patch of rough ground near Edinburgh Airport, and use the Heriott-Watt gym for Strength & Conditioning. It works, though Frost admits with a grin, “sometimes if one of us isn’t training too well it ends up with an argument.”
McKelvie’s job, PE teacher in five primary schools, carries the occupational hazards of exposure to more than her fair share of bugs, which has a knock on effect for Frost. A big part of the battle is staying healthy and, particularly for Frost who has had a number of injuries, staying damage free.
“My biggest challenge between now and Glasgow is staying in one piece,” he says. “I’ve had a few injury issues in the past with my knee but if I can stay healthy and fit I know I can challenge for a medal in Glasgow.
“It’s hard with Susan being around children all day long and all the colds she picks up, then coming back in the house. If you pick up a cold you can lose a week’s training, so you really have to look after yourself.”
A significant upside to early Team Scotland selection is that they can focus solely on delivering their best for Glasgow.
“To both get selection over now and to be picked is great because now we can just focus on the training,” adds Frost.
“We can now concentrate on winter training with the ultimate goal of preparing for Glasgow and trying to get on the podium.”
You can follow Andy and Susan on Twitter @therealmcfrost @subomckelvie
Photo Credit: Alistair Devine
Hockey internationalist Michael Bremner cheered on Team Scotland from a capacity stadium at the last Commonwealth Games and now can’t wait to entertain a home crowd from the pitch at Glasgow 2014.
The 21-year-old was at the Delhi 2010 Games as one of 28 athletes on the inaugural Achieve programme – providing emerging talent with the chance to sample Commonwealth competition up close and personal.
“Achieve was absolutely brilliant,” said Bremner, from Kilbarchan in Renfrewshire. “Getting to go to Delhi was massive; something I would probably never get to do outside of the sport. The hockey was at one of the biggest stadiums I’ve ever seen for hockey, with about 20,000 seats. It was pretty spectacular.
“And we were with the swimmers and got to see Robbie Renwick win his gold medal. Singing the national anthem, it was something I hadn’t associated with the Commonwealth Games until then, to see everyone singing Flower of Scotland was brilliant.
“Being on the Achieve programme reinforced the motivation that I want to be at Glasgow 2014. To have been that close to the action in Delhi, but not competing, made me want to train as hard as I could to get there now.
“And gaining the experience of a multi-sport games means now I have a small edge on the other guys, as maybe I won’t be as star struck.”
Bremner could be considered the programme’s pin up, having gone on to become a permanent fixture in the Scotland senior line-up and compete for Team GB at the Australian Youth Olympic Festival.
Not even a freak injury which forced him out of the EuroHockey Championships over the summer has dampened the defender-come-midfielder’s desire to compete next summer.
He added: “I basically ran into a team-mate in a warm up and stretched ligaments in the sole of my foot. It’s an impact injury – quite common in rugby my physio was telling me – and I was out for eight weeks, wearing a plastic boot which meant I couldn’t really do anything until it healed.
“For the last two years or so I’ve been consistently starting for Scotland, but my focus now is to get back in the squad and then work towards making Team Scotland for Glasgow. To be able to play against some of the top sides in the world in front of a home crowd will be brilliant. I have heard the tickets have sold really well.”
For Bremner, hockey is very much a family affair, his dad and brother also members of the dominant domestic club Glynhill Kelburne, where he has played since the age of ten.
When not playing hockey for club or country, Bremner can be mostly found at the Glasgow School of Art where he is a third year Communication Design student, ably supported by a sports scholarship from Winning Students.
“The next target for me is to make the team for Glasgow 2014 then the year after that it’s my final year of studies and we have our degree show,” explained Bremner.
“That’s the big year where you have to show your best work. After that I just need to see where I am. I would love to go to an Olympic Games and I’d love to play hockey abroad.”
Before then, the outdoor domestic season continues, and Scotland will be in Belgium for festive friendlies in preparation for the EuroHockey Indoor Championship II in Bern, Switzerland from 17-19 January, 2014.
You can follow Michael on Twitter @MBREMMY
Photo Credit: Scottish Hockey
Ambitions to help nurture the next generation of Commonwealth sporting stars were unveiled today through a new official charity partnership between the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and the Scottish Commonwealth Games Youth Trust (SCGYT).
The SCGYT invests in promising young athletes through offering them a range of support, including scholarships. Today’s announcement of an official partnership with Glasgow 2014 means sports fans will be able to play a key part in creating a golden future for young athletes simply by showing their support for Team Scotland at next summer’s Commonwealth Games.
Every purchase of Team Scotland merchandise will help support the work of the Youth Trust, with a proportion of all royalties from the Glasgow 2014 Team Scotland range going to the Trust.
Former gymnast and Commonwealth Gold Medallist, Steve Frew, helped launch the partnership at the Scottish School of Sport at Bellahouston today (Thursday 19 December) alongside Commonwealth Games Scotland (CGS) Chairman Michael Cavanagh and Glasgow 2014 Chief Executive David Grevemberg.
Steve, who won Scotland’s first ever Commonwealth Games Gold medal in Gymnastics at the Manchester 2002 Commonwealth Games, joined pupils at the school which has produced Glasgow 2014 medal hopefuls such as Michael Jamieson and Kirsty Gilmour to raise awareness about the Trust.
To date, the SCGYT has raised funds largely through donations and fundraising activities at Commonwealth Games Scotland Annual Awards Dinners. Recently it has focused on making small awards to Scottish athletes in the lead up to the Games and Commonwealth Youth Games.
The Trust has also provided funding for scholarship support of athletes from Commonwealth Games sports attendi
ng the University of Stirling and support of junior Commonwealth Championships for specific sports held in Scotland.
SCGYT now aims to expand its existing activities and create a Glasgow 2014 Fund to introduce a new Commonwealth-wide programme to bring young Commonwealth athletes and coaches to Scotland and to send young Scottish athletes and coaches to Commonwealth countries to build on relationships, understanding and co-operation developed in the 2014 Games and thus help to further developand perfect sporting abilities in the spirit of the Commonwealth movement.
The SCGYT Glasgow 2014 Fund will raise income in several ways including Team Scotland merchandising royalties and other Games related packages.
The partnership will provide a significant boost to the wide-ranging sporting legacy of Glasgow 2014, both in Scotland and across the Commonwealth.
Professor Steve Chapman, Principal and Vice-Chancellor of Heriot-Watt University and Chair of the Scottish Commonwealth Games Youth Trust, said:
Sport and athletes are at the centre of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games and today’s announcement takes this commitment one step further. This charity partnership will deliver real benefits to the next generation of athletes through a range of fundraising activities. Every penny raised will be directed towards programmes and activities which will assist young athletes to progress to represent their country at future Games and inspire others to follow in their footsteps.
Michael Cavanagh, Chairman of Commonwealth Games Scotland, said:
“The Scottish Commonwealth Games Youth Trust has played a long time role in supporting Scottish athletes and this partnership takes things to the next level. When we bid for the Games we wanted to ensure that not only Scottish athletes had long term benefits and that the close relationship between Scotland and the athletes and coaches from across the Commonwealth could continue to flourish, as we have much to learn from each other. This exciting new initiative will make this aspiration a reality.”
David Grevemberg, Chief Executive of Glasgow 2014 said:
“Glasgow 2014 is very proud to support the Scottish Commonwealth Games Youth Trust as one of our charity partners. Through the Commonwealth Games we share a common ambition to engage and empower young people to build an interest in and stay active in sport throughout their lives. Royalties from Glasgow 2014 sale of Team Scotland merchandise will go to the charity. So, by showing your support, you are actually giving your support to Team Scotland and its aspiring hopefuls.”
Steve Frew said:
“It’s great to know that by buying Team Scotland merchandise you are not only showing your support for our current Team, but for future generations inspired by the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games. I would urge everyone to get behind the fundraising activities and help young athletes achieve their dreams.”
There will be a wide range of specially designed merchandise available including tee-shirts, sweatshirts and souvenirs. There is a limited range available now but this will expand as we get nearer to the games.
The full range is available online from the official Glasgow 2014 shop at http://www.shop.glasgow2014.com/.
As Scotland’s Shooting Team Manager, Donald McIntosh brings a lifetime’s experience to the Glasgow 2014 campaign and furthermore one of his charges will be his daughter Jen. On the last day of October, Jen McIntosh was one of eight shooters selected for Team Scotland next summer. However, raising a sharp shooter from a young age has had its ‘ups and downs’ admits Donald.
“You know what they say about Dad’s teaching daughters how to drive, well supporting a daughter through a shooting career is very similar!
“Jen engaged with shooting at Dollar Academy and the school has a great history of strong shooting teams as the cadet force has strong connections there. My coaching expertise is not with beginners, so I took a step back in the early days and Craig Stewart who runs it did a lot for her. He must take a lot of credit for how Jen has turned out.”
Jen definitely ‘turned out’ to be an extremely talented shooter, laying claim to being Scotland’s most successful female athlete at a single Commonwealth Games after winning three medals in Delhi 2010 – two gold and one bronze. She was also one of only two Scots to represent Team GB at the London 2012 Olympics.
Along with Donald’s management role with Team Scotland, he is also the Head Rifle Coach with Great Britain Shooting.
“I was Jen’s coach in London, it was an incredible experience. She was not that happy with her performance (finishing 42nd in the 10m Air Rifle) but she was the first British athlete to compete and the noise from the crowd, neither she nor I expected it, it blew my mind. The Australian coach sitting next to me actually told me to sit down and stop worrying about it, ‘you can’t stop it’ he said. Jen coped with it better than I did.”
With an Olympic Games and two Commonwealth Games under his belt as a coach, he understands that he has a different role this time around: “I’ve got to make a mental change in mind set compared to the last two Games. As the coach, I could focus on each athlete and coach them through the experience but as the Team Manager, that is not my place. I have a wider team to look after.”
Accompanied by his father, Donald started Shooting in Elgin as ’something to do in the evening’ when he was just 12. Despite finding the sport difficult at first, Donald stuck with it and went on to represent Team Scotland at the 2002 Commonwealth Games. His passion for the sport is more than matched by other family members, with Shirley, Donald’s wife the winner of four Commonwealth Games medals, whilst in her short career to date, Jen boasts three Commonwealth Games medals in her trophy cabinet. Unsurprisingly, the youngest McIntosh, Seonaid aged 17, also spends many an hour on the shooting range and has just been selected for the Fast Track programme, marking her as a prospect for the future and may yet also qualify for Glasgow 2014. The sport has played a major part in their lives and definitely unites this talented family of four.
You can follow Donald on Twitter @MacCoach10
See Jen McIntosh’s athlete profile
Photo Credit: Donald McIntosh
Commonwealth Games Scotland is delighted to announce that after a recent open recruitment process for the post of Gymnastics Team Manager, Tracy Rea has been formally appointed.
Tracy is currently the Head of Performance at Scottish Gymnastics, previously having been employed with the national sports agency, sportscotland. She will take on the role of Team Manager: Gymnastics for the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games being held from 23 July – 3 August 2014.
With Tracy’s appointment, 17 of the 18 Team Managers are now in place with the final Team Manager to be appointed by the end of 2013.
Harper Macleod, Legal Adviser to the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, has joined forces with its Athlete Ambassador Samantha Kinghorn to make a breathtaking short film giving a glimpse behind the scenes of the wheelchair racer’s life.
Filmed at and around the Borders farm where the 17-year-old lives with her parents, Elaine and Neil, the film gives a stunning snapshot of what makes Sammi such a successful competitor.
The film also focuses on the athlete’s relationship with her coach Ian Mirfin, who has helped take Sammi from absolute beginner to elite competitor in less than two years.
Since being introduced to the sport in 2011, Sammi’s rise has been meteoric. She holds the national record in her class at every distance, and was one of the first group of athletes to confirm their place as part of Team Scotland at Glasgow 2014.
During filming Sammi clocked more than 20 kilometres on the roads around her home village of Gordon, as well as on the track at Tweedbank, Galashiels, where she trains.
At one point, on the downhill stretch seen in the film, she hit almost 66kph, a new personal best in her racing chair.
Sammi, who will compete in the T53/T54 1500m in Glasgow next summer, said: “Working with the crew to make this film was an amazing experience. It was a long, tiring day, working from sunrise to way past sunset but it was worth it to see the end result. It just goes to show that, whether it’s filming or training, there’s always a lot of hard work that you don’t see, but that leads to just a few seconds or minutes of action that both you and everyone else can enjoy.
“It also shows that you can’t succeed on your own, and I know I wouldn’t be close to competing at an event such as the Commonwealth Games if it wasn’t for the support of my family, Ian and everyone else around me.”
Martin Darroch, Chief Executive of Harper Macleod, said: “We’re extremely proud to have Sammi as our Athlete Ambassador for Glasgow 2014. This film reflects the skill, dedication, passion and partnerships that are required to deliver truly world class results, both in athletics and in the wider world.
“It underpins our belief – for 2014 and beyond – that greatness begins behind the scenes.”
To see the film and find out more about Sammi, visit www.harpermacleod.co.uk/glasgow2014
You can also preview the film on YouTube at http://tscot.co/KinghornHM
20 year-old Sian Bruce will make her Commonwealth Games debut in Glasgow next summer and is relishing the opportunity to shoot for glory in front of home support.
Hailing from Dundee, she will certainly see a lot of familiar faces when she steps up to compete at the shooting venue – The Barry Buddon Shooting Centre in Carnoustie, less than 20km from her home town.
She took up the sport influenced by her father, who used to take her up to Aviemore and she was holding a shotgun from 10 years old. Sian quickly showed she had a natural ability and started competing for Scotland from the age of 12, and by the time she was 14 she was already attending Great Britain selections and hasn’t looked back since.
So she is no stranger to top level competition and already has an Olympic gold to her name – she took gold at the 2010 inaugural Youth Olympics in Singapore in the Women’s Olympic Skeet.
Olympic Skeet is quite a complicated discipline to explain verbally and even Sian says “it’s better to see it for yourself to understand it”, but the premise is that there will be a series of targets appearing for the competitors but they don’t come at exact intervals so it keeps their concentration and adrenaline at high levels throughout, waiting for the right moment to pull the trigger. You can’t mount your gun until you see the target so it is very reaction based.
A girl that is oozing determination and confidence, Sian has the competitive spirit that is needed to make it at the top level of her sport. She trains as much as she can, though the best conditions for her training are outdoors – not something that is always possible with the Scottish winters!
Aside from the target practice, she does try to incorporate strength and conditioning into her routine though she says it’s not as essential in her sport as some of the others and says that is clear “when you see some of the athletes competing!”
When she is not focusing on a target and realising her sporting dreams, she is helping others keen to make their dreams come true! She works as a croupier at the Dundee Casino. She started the job when she left school as a way to fund her shooting and two years on she is still there, dealing the cards and enjoying a very different side of life. Her bosses are very accommodating with her training and competition so she mainly works evenings so she can focus on her training during the day and for now, is quite content with way things are.
Having been viewed as a bit of an outcast because of her hobby at a young age, the friends she has now who don’t shoot see it as “pretty cool” and they are often keen to have a go and get the feel for it. Many of them have secured their tickets and will be there to cheer her on next July
She is so excited to be part of Team Scotland in 2014 and views this as her biggest competition platform so far and is determined to make the hard work pay-off. Never short of a smile and a giggle, Sian will bring a warmth and fun side to the Team. She missed out on Delhi when her event was withdrawn after the test event, so she is keen to make up for a missed opportunity and do her friends, family and local community proud.
Being so young she sees a long shooting career ahead of her. It is one of the few sports that you can do well into your senior years and right now she can’t see a time when she won’t have her eye on the target.
Photo Credit: Alistair Devine
Glasgow 2014 today (Tuesday 10 December) announced that construction work is starting on the Barry Buddon site to prepare the ranges ahead of next year’s Commonwealth Games.
The Defence Infrastructure Organisation (DIO) and the Glasgow 2014 Organising Committee are working together to ensure that Barry Buddon in Carnoustie will host Shooting at the Games.
The Carnoustie venue will host all elements of the Shooting competition at the Games, including clay target, full bore, pistol and small bore events.
Shooting is one of 17 sports that make up the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games, the largest sporting and cultural event ever held in Scotland.
DIO is the property and services provider of the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and manages Barry Buddon Training Centre.
How the site is to be used before, during and after the games period, will take into account the MOD’s operational requirements and the Site of Special Scientific Interest (SSSI) status.
It is an EU Special Area of Conservation (SAC) and a Special Protection Area (SPA) for birds under the European Birds Directive.
Barry Buddon covers 2,600 acres (950 hectares) and is primarily an infantry training area, consisting of accommodation for 500 persons, 21 ranges capable of supporting small arms, heavy machine gun and medium mortars.
The MOD range was used for the full-bore rifle contest during the Edinburgh Games in 1986, but this time round all of the shooting events will take place in Angus.
The planning application to create the additional temporary ranges at Barry Buddon was approved by Angus Council early in 2013. The ranges will remain fully operational to military users until much closer to the Games.
Glasgow 2014 Chief Executive, David Grevemberg, said: “We are pleased to have concluded negotiations for the use of Barry Buddon and are grateful to the Ministry of Defence for their support of the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.
“Barry Buddon will be a world-class venue for the Shooting competition at the Games and represents an opportunity for those outside of Glasgow to be part of the celebrations.”
Maj (Retd) Kim Torp-Petersen, Deputy Commander DIO Ops Training Scotland said: “DIO’s priority is to support our Armed Forces as they prepare for operations. In parallel with our day-to-day Defence work, it has taken a lot of hard work for the DIO Ops Training team and the LMS team here in Scotland to reach this point.
“We’re proud to be able to offer our facilities to support the 2014 Commonwealth Games and we look forward to welcoming the competitors to Barry Buddon.
“There is a lot of work to be done between now and the summer to get the site ready for the Games but we’re confident that working together with Glasgow 2014 we will achieve our target.”
Chair of the Angus Steering Group for the XX Commonwealth Games, Councillor JeanetteGaul said: “It is great to see the construction get underway. Angus is looking forward to being a host venue and we have been working hard with Glasgow 2014, Dundee City Council, the MOD and other partner agencies to make sure all visitors have an enjoyable stay and that athletes can enjoy the top-class facilities at Barry Buddon.”