With their rows of food stalls, beer marquees and side-show entertainments, many larger sporting events in Scotland bear more than a passing resemblance to the multitude of festivals that welcome visitors and locals across the country each year. And it could be argued that the sporting arena offers as much by way of anticipation, emotion, theatre, drama, action and artistry as any stage, platform or festival field.

Kicking off our sporty round-up, Orkney hosts the International Island Games in July, with athletes of 24 island groups, from Guernsey to Greenland, competing in 12 sports including athletics, cycling, football, golf, sailing and triathlon. The action takes place across Orkney and tickets to watch all events are free.

The Commonwealth Games return to Glasgow next year, but it’s worth remembering that multi-sport events are pretty familiar in Scotland. Most weekends between May and September will see a Highland Games happening somewhere, offering a mix of amateur athletics, strong-man heaving and tossing competitions, dancing, bagpiping, stalls and family-oriented activities. Some are large, some emphasise local traditions, others are smaller and more free-flowing, but each is an important social and community gathering, and an inevitable draw for both locals and visitors. For handy listings of over 50 Highland Games, head to rshga.org/calendar

The big cities host the highest profile sporting fixtures such as the Six Nations rugby matches for men (February/March; Edinburgh) and women (March/April; Edinburgh), and international football for both men and women in the UEFA Nations League (Feb–May; Glasgow) and World Cup Qualifiers (October; Glasgow).

However, top-level sport can be found across the country. The Coral Scottish Grand National horseracing festival takes place in Ayr in April, with the same venue hosting the Ayr Gold Cup Festival in September. The annual MelroseSevens rugby tournament kicks off in the heart of the Scottish Borders in May, while shinty’s Camanachd Cup Final is scheduled for Inverness in September.

The big golf tournaments of the year are the men’s Genesis Scottish Open near North Berwick, and the ISPS HANDA Golf Women’s Scottish Open in Ayrshire, both in July. The British Championships for downhill mountain biking happens in Fort William in July, International Horse Trials are at Scone Palace, near Perth, in August, the world-class mountain and trail running event Skyline Scotland hits Fort William in September, while windsurfing’s Tiree Wave Classic, the longest running professional windsurfing event in the world, rolls into the Isle of Tiree in October.

This article was originally published in The List’s Guide To Scottish Festivals 2025, which is available in print from stockists across Scotland or to read online; main picture: Kenny Lam.