Duncan Scott now has 14 medals at the Commonwealth Games — more than any other Scottish athlete in history.
Scotland finished fifth in the medal table at the Glasgow 2026 Commonwealth Games, earning 39 medals total: 13 gold, 9 silver, and 17 bronze. It was the country's third-best performance ever, surpassed only by the home Games in 2014.
But numbers only tell part of the story.
Scotland sent 177 athletes to compete this time, compared to 313 in 2014. Fewer sports were on the programme — 215 golds were available, down from 261 twelve years ago. When you do the math, Scotland earned a medal for every 4.54 athletes who competed. Four years ago in Birmingham, that figure was 5.30. By that measure, this was actually progress.
Chef de mission Elinor Middlemiss said the team delivered "on so many fronts" including historic firsts, records, and memories that will last a lifetime. She refused to set a medal target before the Games, noting how narrow the margins can be.
"This has been a fantastic Games for Team Scotland and everyone connected with the team should feel immensely proud," Middlemiss said.
The medals came from eight different sports. Athletics had its second-biggest haul in 44 years. Gymnastics celebrated its first-ever men's all-around gold. Scottish athletes won an all-time best 14 medals in para-sport events. There were first-ever podiums in women's boxing and in the team sport of 3x3 basketball.
Of the 39 medals, 20 went to men, 17 to women, and two to mixed teams. Forty-three percent of all medals were won by female athletes — the same share as in Birmingham.
Duncan Scott, a 29-year-old swimmer, took home two more medals to become Scotland's most decorated Commonwealth Games athlete ever, with 14 total. But when it comes to gold medals, he trails behind para-cyclist Neil Fachie, who came out of retirement and won two golds in Glasgow, bringing his career total to seven.
Angharad Evans was the standout individual performer, winning two individual golds plus relay silver and bronze in the pool. Para-athlete Melanie Woods took home two golds on the track, and closing ceremony flagbearer Reuben Ward won gold and silver in gymnastics.
Some sports, like boxing, bowls, and judo, fell short of expectations. And swimmers had more than a few fourth-place finishes — agonizingly close to the podium. But with fewer athletes and fewer events than previous Games, the breadth of success was hard to ignore.
Scotland may not have matched the 19 golds from 2014, but against the odds and with half the team, they carved out their own kind of record.