Twelve rising sports stars from the Highlands have received a welcome boost to help fuel their ambitions on the regional, national and international stage.
The latest round of the Highland Athlete Travel Award Scheme is now underway, with fresh funding handed out to support elite athletes facing long journeys for training and competitions.
The scheme is a partnership between sportscotland and High Life Highland, designed specifically to ease the travel burden on athletes from remote and rural parts of the country.
Since its launch in 2020, the initiative has provided vital support to sportspeople across a wide range of disciplines including surfing, golf, swimming, snowboarding, and gymnastics.
Among the new recipients this year is Lochaber-based tumbling gymnast Miguel Alexander Reis-Forrester, a promising athlete on the Scottish National Performance Programme who now competes at international level.
Miguel, still just a teenager, could soon find himself on the global stage as part of Team Scotland in top-tier events under the International Gymnastics Federation.
Joining him on the list is Inverness-based orienteer Iona Scott, who has already earned her place on both the Scottish Junior and British Orienteering Talent squads.
Grateful for the backing, Iona said the funding would help her maintain a high level of competition and attend critical GB training camps to continue her development.
The award scheme doesn’t just offer financial aid.
It also grants athletes access to High Life Highland facilities across the region to train, build strength, and improve conditioning in pursuit of podium finishes.
Five-time Scottish Women’s Surfing Champion Phoebe Strachan is also benefitting from the fund as she prepares for training with Team GB.
Meanwhile, golfer Hannah McCook continues to compete at professional level on the Ladies European Access Tour with vital support from the scheme.
The selected athletes represent a wide cross-section of the Highlands, from Caithness to Lochaber and Inverness to Badenoch.
Forbes Dunlop, Chief Executive of sportscotland, highlighted the scheme’s role in tackling geographic disadvantage and giving rural athletes the same shot at excellence as their urban peers.
Darren Reid, Head of Sports Development at High Life Highland, said the initiative helps ensure Highland athletes can reach their potential and raise the region’s profile internationally.
He praised the determination and success of local athletes, adding that their achievements are a source of inspiration and pride throughout the Highlands.
Athletes from as far afield as the Outer Hebrides, Orkney and Shetland are also eligible under the scheme, which continues to make a tangible difference in levelling the playing field.
With so many young stars rising through the ranks, the Highlands is quickly becoming a sporting powerhouse to watch.
