Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth baton route unveiled

THE ceremonial baton relay for the 2014 Commonwealth Games will set off this autumn from Buckingham Palace, before visiting 71 nations and territories ahead of the sporting spectacle.

The showpiece relay will begin at Buckingham Palace on 9 October, where the Queen will deliver a message to athletes. It will travel north to Glasgow before making its first international stop in Delhi, hosts of the 2010 Games, on 11 October.

After making a whirlwind tour of the globe, the relay will return to Britain next May, before embarking on a 40 day-long tour of Scotland.

The route was unveiled today - Commonwealth Day - by organisers of the Games at the Emirates arena in Glasgow, one of the event’s flagship venues.

Glasgow 2014 chairman Lord Smith of Kelvin said: “It is fitting that we have chosen Commonwealth Day to announce the international route of the Queen’s baton relay as it is such a well-loved tradition of the Games.”

Michael Cavanagh, chairman of Commonwealth Games Scotland, added: “For many athletes the arrival of the Queen’s baton relay in their country will be a real highlight, enabling the public and supporters to share and be part of the Games experience before the Games come to Glasgow in 2014.”