Nine new Scottish venues offer free tennis sessions for beginners

Tennis Scotland's Blane Dodds launches Tennis for Free at St Mungo's High School in Falkirk. Picture: SNS

It means there are now 14 tennis centres participating in the scheme which aims to encourage families and individuals to try the sport for the first time.

The Tennis For Free programme provides free coach-led sessions for 90 minutes every Saturday.

Blane Dodds, Tennis Scotland chief executive, said: “We have seen already the positive impact free access can have in the first five venues that signed up to Tennis For Free.

“I have no doubt we will  continue to see an influx of new people trying out tennis for the first time across the country.

“Ultimately, we want tennis in Scotland to be inclusive and fun – and we are pleased to be enhancing our partnership with Tennis For Free, in partnership with our participating clubs, removing the cost and encouraging people to give tennis a try.”

The new sites joining the Tennis For Free scheme are: Victoria Park (Dundee), Albury (Aberdeen), Ayr Fort (Ayr), Annan Seaforth (Annan), Craig lockhart (Edinburgh), Fort hill Community (Dundee), the Meadows (Edinburgh), Stewarton (Ayrshire) and Bellfield Park (Inverness).

They join five venues already participating in the programme at Dollar Park (Falkirk), Dawson Park (Dundee), Ruthrieston Park (Aberdeen), Drumchapel Park (Glasgow) and Cooper Park (Elgin).

The Tennis For Free sessions begin tomorrow, except at Craiglockhart, Forthill and Stewarton which launch in mid-July.

More information is available at www.tennisforfree.com