Glasgow 2014 Unveils Queen's Baton Relay Route

The route to be taken by the Commonwealth Games' Queen's Baton Relay, following its launch from Buckingham Palace on 9 October, has been revealed.

The journey of the baton was unveiled for the first time in an interactive celebration at Glasgow’s new Emirates Arena - a major venue for the Games - today (11 March).

Glasgow 2014’s Organising Committee has announced the baton will visit all 71 nations and territories of the Commonwealth, before travelling through Scotland on its way to its final destination – the Opening Ceremony of the games from 23 July to 3 August.

Glasgow 2014’s baton will itself make history by being the first to visit Rwanda, as the relay covers an epic 190,000km over 248 days.

The baton, which will be created especially for Glasgow 2014, will begin its journey on 9 October at Buckingham Palace when The Queen will place a message to the Commonwealth into the baton.

The first stop of the journey will be Delhi – host city of the 2010 Commonwealth Games.

Over the 248 days the baton will travel through Asia, Oceania, Africa, Americas (south), the Caribbean, Americas (north) before returning to Europe and the UK and then into Scotland.

The baton will average one to four days in each nation with an extended duration of seven days in Wales, 14 days in England and 40 days in Scotland.

During the journey, the baton will celebrate St Andrew’s Day in New Zealand, spend Christmas in Vanuatu and bring in the New Year - and the start of 2014 - in Sierra Leone.

Glasgow 2014 chairman Lord Smith of Kelvin said: "For Scotland and Glasgow the Queen’s Baton Relay creates an unparalleled chance to put both city and nation into the international spotlight, creating valuable economic, cultural, and educational opportunities for and beyond the Games."

Later this year Glasgow 2014 will reveal the design of the baton as well as full details on how thousands of people can get involved in baton’s final journey across Scotland in the final build-up to the Games.

Michael Cavanagh, chairman of Commonwealth Games Scotland, added: "We know from past experience of hosting a Queen’s Baton Relay leg in Scotland that this is the time when awareness of the Games goes live for each country. There is no better way to spread the word that the Games is coming and that we are all part of a wider Commonwealth family."