Sport and leisure

A new exhibition telling the story of the Cairngorms has been opened by Cabinet Secretary for Rural Economy Fergus Ewing. 

'The Cairngorm Story' is Cairngorm Mountain's newest visitor attraction, located at the base station of the mountain. 

The exhibition tells the story of the Cairngorms -- its wildlife, mountains, unique natural environment -- and highlights the achievements of mountaineers, Olympians, photographers, writers and artists from the area.

A new passport for the 134-mile John Muir Way has been launched to coincide with the route's fifth anniversary.

Walkers and cyclers undertaking the John Muir Way can not get the official passport stamped at 'Stamping Stations' along the route, which has been split into ten sections to complete.

Stranraer proved itself to be a world-class venue for watersports as the veue for the SkiffieWorlds 2019. 

The St Ayles skiff coastal rowing world championship brought a footfall of around 30,000 people to Stranraer, with 55 community-built boats and 700 crews of coastal rowers taking part in the event. Crews came from as far afield as Australia, South Africa, Canada, Tasmania, the USA and mainland Europe for the week-long event.

Visitors can discover the story of Scotland's first Formula One World Champion at a new museum in the Scottish Borders.

The Jim Clark Motorsports Museum in Duns has opened to the public today (11 July 2019). The museum, operated by Live Borders, includes two of Jim Clark’s race cars, new image galleries, film footage, interactive displays and a simulator. There is also expanded exhibition space showcasing memorabilia and the trophy collection.

Teams from Shetland, Orkney and the Western Isles are set to compete in the 2019 Island Games in Gibraltar kicking off this weekend.

Hundreds of athletes from Scotland's islands are heading out to compete in The Gibraltar 2019 NatWest International Island Games XVIII. The Games will be held from Saturday 6 to Friday 12 July 2019. Organisers expect around 3,000 participants, officials and media to attend the event.

A new inclusive play park has opened in the Scottish Borders.

The £350,000 facility at Harestanes Countryside Visitor Centre, close to the towns of Melrose, Kelso and Jedburgh, was officially opened on Sunday 28 April 2019. 

A wide range of accessible play equipment is available in the park including two wheelchair swings, an inclusive roundabout, a two-bay Viking basket swing set and an all-inclusive sensory boardwalk.

Registration is now open for Paths for All’s spring Step Count Challenge, which begins on Monday 29 April.

For eight weeks, teams of five from workplaces across Scotland will track and record their daily step count, take part in weekly competitions, and challenge themselves to walk more. 

Community groups can apply for funding towards artistic and visual improvements to their local National Cycle Network routes.

Grants of up to £5,000 are available from the ArtRoots Fund, funded by Transport Scotland and delivered by Sustrans Scotland. The fund seeks to empower local communities in making improvements on local routes to increase user confidence and make journeys on the National Cycle Network more enjoyable for everyone.

Short videos from Rural Perth & Kinross LEADER showcase some of the inspiring projects that have been supported by the programme.

The videos highlight the Highland Safari, Scottish Tea Factory, Loch Earn Railway Path and Strathearn Cider Company projects.

A short film highlights the Galloway and Southern Ayrshire Biosphere in South West Scotland and the role social enterprise plays within it.

The video, which you can watch below, shows people making the most of the natural assets through a range of adventurous outdoor pursuits such as mountain biking, canyoning and sea kayaking led by ACE Adventure Centre for Education.