Olympic Torch to Journey through Scotland
The opening ceremony of the 2012 London Olympics will be held on 27 July 2012. The official, and symbolic, Olympic Torch will be arriving in the United Kingdom seventy days prior to the big event. It will arrive in Glasgow on 8 June 2012 along its eight thousand mile journey from China. The torch will journey through Scotland, which will not only awaken anticipation for the Olympics, but will also bring much welcomed attention to Scotland, its cities and its magnificent countryside. It is hoped that the captivating landscapes that will be the backdrop of the journey will lure more visitors to Scotland in the future.
It will be a relay journey for the Olympic Torch, as it will be handed over to a new runner at each predetermined hand over point. One of the areas that will be crossed is the West Sands, which film buffs will recognise from the opening scenes of the legendary film Chariots of Fire. There will be eight thousand relay runners involved in the campaign, and the organisers of the 2012 London Olympics have stated that four thousand of the runners selected will be between the ages of twelve and twenty-four, while the other half will be made up of athletes and members of the public who have contributed to the community in a positive way. The Olympic torch will therefore not only be highlighting the Olympics and the beauty of the United Kingdom, but stories of success and achievement. After its arrival in Glasgow, the torch will reach Inverness by 9 June 2012, with Shetland and Orkney on the route the following day.
On the 11th of June, the torch will leave the mainland travelling to the Isle of Lewis, and then back later in the day, moving to Aberdeen. The torch will move on to Dundee and then complete its Scottish journey in Edinburgh on 13 June, which will be accompanied by a vibrant parade. As Glasgow will be hosting eight of the football games of the 2012 Olympics, Gordon Matheson, City Council Leader of Glasgow, commented that he was overjoyed that the city was included in the journey of the Olympic Torch as the city will be highlighted globally and hopefully inspire both audiences and future athletes to aim for the Olympics.
