A "summer of sport" is under way in Shetland. The programme, which features many different events, promises a wide range of sporting opportunities.
Shetland's Summer of Sport and is one of many initiatives across Scotland that mark the countdown to the 2014 Commonwealth Games, to be held in Glasgow. The programme is supported by EventScotland, which has come up with a grant of £10,000. The intention is that new sports events will be developed and existing ones will be better promoted.
Among many other activities, there will be school sports events, a midsummer cycle and sportive, a summer holiday programme involving sports clubs and associations, Community Sports Hub open days and a schools dance programme. On 23 July, exactly a year before the Glasgow games open, there will be a family picnic at Lerwick's Gilbertson Park with the chance to take part in mountain biking and mini-athletics alongside crafts, flag painting and music. An online diary will keep everyone informed about what's happening. The programme runs until the end of August.
Shetland has superb sporting facilities, including several indoor sports centres, nine swimming pools and a wide range of outdoor pitches for football, rugby, hockey and other games. The islands" athletes have often returned from competitions elsewhere with an impressive collection of medals.