Marvellous, joyful festivals: Why Scotland can look forward to some really big sporting events
Sporting competitions like the International Island Games in Orkney have a whole range of benefits, economic, social and physical
As you read this, Orkney is staging the largest event in the islands’ history. The 2025 International Island Games, the opening ceremony of which I had the privilege of attending yesterday in Kirkwall, will see more than 1,600 athletes from 24 island groups taking part in events ranging from sailing to swimming and archery.
Orkney is the smallest island group to ever host the games and competitors have come from as far afield as the Falklands, the Cayman Islands, Saaremaa in Estonia and Åland in Finland. I have no doubt that over the next week they will all enjoy an unforgettable experience and be impressed by Orkney’s unique people, landscapes and hospitality.
I am equally sure that the Games will further demonstrate the importance of the Scottish Government’s policy of helping to attract major events to Scotland. Two years ago, the 2023 UCI Cycling World Championships put Scotland on television screens across the world, attracted thousands of visitors and showed off our nation’s ability to stage a global event.
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Feel-good factor
Next year Glasgow will again host the Commonwealth Games, while the Grand Départ of the Tour de France sets off from the Edinburgh in 2027 and Glasgow’s Hampden Park is to stage matches in the 2028 UEFA European Football Championships. We also support the hosting of golf events, with the Genesis Scottish Open returning to East Lothian, and we look forward to The Open taking place at St Andrews again in 2027.
The economic and social value of such events cannot be overestimated. In Orkney, accommodation providers, sports clubs and island businesses are among those directly benefiting from the Island Games. More difficult to measure, but just as real, are the long-term impacts of a raised global profile, the enhanced sporting facilities left behind and the general feel-good factor in Kirkwall.
I am sure some of the thousands of people who attended yesterday’s opening ceremony and who attend events this week will be tempted to take up a new activity or join their local sport club, benefiting their physical and mental well-being.
Between 2025 and 2028, Scotland’s economy will benefit from tens of millions of pounds from major sports events. The 2024 Scottish Open delivered a net economic impact of £19.2 million, supporting 234 jobs, and I expect this year’s event to have a similarly significant impact.
Attracting investors
After the Tour de France Grand Depart in Leeds in 2014, a report by Leeds City Council and UK Sport found the event boosted Yorkshire's economy by £102m, with further long-term benefits predicted because of increased tourism, raised profile and trade deals.
Hundreds of individuals and organisations are involved in staging these complex events. My role as a minister is to ensure we create a climate that encourages sporting bodies to bring their events to Scotland, provide government support where appropriate, and ensure we use the platform to reap long-term benefits such as attracting inward investment. I also want to ensure that every part of Scotland is included, which is why I am particularly delighted that Orkney is showcasing Scotland.
But amongst all this, we must also not forget to enjoy the events for what they are – marvellous, joyful festivals of sport.
Richard Lochhead is SNP MSP for Moray and business and employment minister
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