The first Scottish leg of the Queen's Baton Relay will be held at Heriot-Watt University's Edinburgh Campus, the site of the forthcoming National Performance Centre for Sport (NPCS), and will feature a sports-themed family day out.
XX Commonwealth Games
The final destination of the Queen's Baton Relay will be Glasgow, where on the 23 July 2014 the message Her Majesty The Queen placed in the baton will be read at the Opening Ceremony of the XX Commonwealth Games.
I am delighted to note that we have current students from forty seven out of fifty three of the Commonwealth countries, studying either at our campuses or via distance learning
The Heriot-Watt leg of the relay, starting at 9.00am on 14 June 2014, is the first after the baton crosses the border at Coldstream, and forms the first part of a day of Edinburgh events visiting iconic city landmarks and community sites along the route. In addition to the events planned at the University's Edinburgh Campus, there will be also a series of sports events in the City culminating in an evening event in Princes Street Gardens.
Professor Steve Chapman, Principal of Heriot-Watt University, said, "As winners, with our partners the City of Edinburgh Council, of the bid to host the National Performance Centre for Sport, we are very pleased that the first Scottish leg of the Baton Relay is through our Edinburgh Campus and right past what will be the site for the new Centre.
"We are also Scotland's most international university, and I am delighted to note that we have current students from forty seven out of fifty three of the Commonwealth countries, studying either at our campuses or via distance learning. If we include our Alumni, we have students and graduates in all but two of the Commonwealth countries. Hopefully it won't be long before we have successful applicants from Kiribati and Tuvalu as well, and we'll have a Commonwealth full-house!'
The Heriot-Watt leg of the relay
Activities on the day will include:
€¢ Sports activities in the Centre for Sport and Exercise and outside pitches (including football, dance classes, Gaelic football, tennis, rugby and squash)
€¢ Farmers Market
€¢ Bouncy Castle/jousting/sumo wrestling
€¢ Food stalls and community displays
€¢ Face painting
€¢ Campus walks
€¢ Ice cream and refreshments
The Baton Relay will take place from 9.50am - 10.20am on the University Avenue from the West Gait. Please note access to the Campus from the main University Avenue will be restricted at these times.
You can follow the Baton on its journey throughout the Commonwealth: https://www.glasgow2014.com/queens-baton-relay
Book your place
You can register now for this event.