Why is it so special to be part of Team Scotland?

Why is it so special to be part of Team Scotland?Image source, Getty ImagesImage caption, Eilish McColgan won one of 13 gold medals for Scotland at the 2022 Commonwealth Games in BirminghamByRichard WintonBBC Sport ScotlandPublished17 September 2024Updated 10 minutes agoThere's the girl you know from your home town. The boy you went to university with. The fella who trains in the same gym as you every day. And your best pal and training partner is there, too.None of you are having to speak slowly, to clip your Rs, or accentuate your vowels. You understand the patter, know what square sausage is, and can fluently punctuate by swearing.It's like being among family and friends, with all the tender aggression and familiar hinterland that brings.That is the atmosphere within Team Scotland, a diverse - yet similar - collection of athletes and staff who represent the country once every four years at the Commonwealth Games and will do so again in Glasgow in 2026."There's just something about being Scottish - we all just get it and that identity really resonates with us," says swimmer and Olympic and Commonwealth Games veteran Ross Murdoch."It's a completely different dynamic to Team GB. Everyone's just… it's a breath of fresh air," adds Olympic silver and bronze-winning cyclist Jack Carlin."It's warmer and more intimate," says Commonwealth badminton medallist Kirsty Gilmour. "With GB, you need to put your extrovert mask on and try to make new friends, but you just feel more at ease in Team Scotland."Scotland agrees to host Commonwealth Games in 2026 AttributionNewsPublished17 September 2024What do athletes think about Glasgow 2026?Published24 October 2024'Something about it just feels different'Those three athletes have also competed regularly for Britain and are at pains to make it clear that they enjoy, and even relish, doing so. But the Commonwealths are a rare chance to represent Scotla...