Celebration in Edinburgh for Olympic heroes

Scots athletes to be honoured with reception at Oriam centre in Edinburgh

The success of Scotland’s Olympians is to be celebrated with a homecoming event in September.

Plans are being finalised to mark the achievements of Rio medal winners including Katherine Grainger and Callum Skinner at Scotland’s new sports performance centre Oriam, in Edinburgh.

The event on Wednesday September 28 will take place 10 days after the end of the Paralympics and will include an audience of school children from around the country, sports volunteers and members of the public, rather than a bus parade.

The event has a capacity of 400 but it will also be streamed online, sportscotland said.

Thousands of people lined the streets of Glasgow and Edinburgh for open-top bus parades after the London 2012 Olympics and Paralympics to celebrate a record medal haul for Scottish athletes.

Rio 2016 has been the most successful “away Olympics” for Scottish competitors, with 12 medals won so far.

Scots won 13 medals at London 2012 but the previous record at an overseas Games was seven at Sydney 2000.

Andy Murray was the fourth Scot to win gold after cyclists Skinner and Katie Archibald and rower Heather Stanning.

Skinner also claimed a silver medal, as did rowers Polly Swann and Karen Bennett, canoeist David Florence and rugby players Mark Bennett and Mark Robertson.

Rower Grainger’s silver made her Britain’s most decorated female Olympian, while swimmer Duncan Scott won two silver medals in relay races, the first coming with fellow Scots Stephen Milne and Dan Wallace. Sally Conway took bronze in judo. Sportscotland chief executive Stewart Harris said: “The homecoming celebrations will provide a fitting tribute to the Scottish Olympians and Paralympians, and where better to have the post-Games event than at Oriam, Scotland’s brand new, world-class national performance centre.”

A total of 50 Scottish athletes travelled to Brazil for the Games and all that can make it are expected to take part in the homecoming event.