The Games are the largest multi-sports event in which Scotland competes as a nation under its own flag. 

In a 1997 System Three Poll for the Scottish Sports Council, the Commonwealth Games rated alongside the Olympics and the Football World Cup as the sporting events in which most Scots saw national success as being important. 

The XVIII Games took place in Melbourne, Australia from 15th to 26th March 2006 with over 5,500 athletes, coaches and officials taking part from 71 nations. These Games were Scotland's most successful ever with a total of 29 medals won including 11 Gold, 7 Silver and 11 Bronze. Scotland finished in 6th place iin the medal table. 

Sports included were: Aquatics (swimming, diving, synchronised swimming & synchronised diving); Athletics; Badminton; Basketball; Boxing; Cycling (road, track and mountain biking); Gymnastics (artistic & rhythmic); Hockey; Lawn Bowls; Netball; Rugby 7s; Shooting (clay target, fullbore rifle, pistol & smallbore rifle); Squash; Table Tennis; Triathlon; and Weightlifting. EAD events were held in Athletics, Swimming, Table Tennis and Weightlifting. 

Following the inaugural Commonwealth Youth Games held in Edinburgh, Scotland in August 2000, the II Youth Games took place in Bendigo, Australia in December 2004. The III Youth Games will be held in Pune, India in 2008 with Isle of Man hosting the Youth Games in 2011. 

The first Games were held in 1930 in Hamilton, Canada, and were known as the British Empire Games - 11 nations and 450 competitors took part in six different sports. 

At the Games held in Manchester, England in 2002, 72 nations and 5,250 athletes took part in 17 different sports. 

Scotland has competed in every Games winning a total of 301 medals. In the 2002 Games Scotland won 6 Gold, 8 Silver and 16 Bronze medals. 

Scotland’s most successful medallists include Allan Wells (a total of 4 Gold, 1 Silver & 1 Bronze in two Games - 1978 & 1982) and Peter Heatly (diving Gold’s in three successive Games & 1 Silver & 1 Bronze - 1950, 1954 & 1958). The single most successful medallist to date is Shooter Alister Allan (3 Gold, 3 Silver and 4 Bronze from 1974 to 1994). 

Scotland sent a Team of 207 athletes and 85 officials to the Manchester 2002 Games. 

The sports represented were: Athletics, Badminton, Boxing, Cycling, Gymnastics, Hockey, Judo, Lawn Bowls (Men & Women), Rugby 7s, Shooting, Squash, Swimming, Table Tennis, Triathlon, Weightlifting & Wrestling. 

Team sports were first included in the Games programme in Kuala Lumpur in 1998