Britain is an island, but Scotland has the lion's share of the coastline. The sea laps a remarkable 10,000 kms around our shores – and that doesn't include the lochs and open waterways that crisscross the country. It's hardly surprising then, that water, once a medieval motorway for trade, remains important to the nation. But these days the focus is on sport rather than commerce. Whether in the pool, on the river or out at sea, in this Olympic Year it's time for a look at the amazing success of Scotland's water babies.

Some of the names trip off the tongue: Olympic Gold yachtswoman Shirley Robertson, world champion rower Katherine Grainger and the swimming hero of the 1970's, the multi-medal-winning David Wilkie. The Scottish contingent for this year's games in Beijing is as prominent as ever. An impressive ten swimmers have made the final squad, along with four named in the Paralympics team. Medal hopes across the water disciplines are high, and many of the athletes are household names.

But delve back a bit into history and mysterious figures loom large. Who was George Cornet and how was it that Scotland came to almost invent water polo? What impact did the maritime adventures of a Scottish tea magnate have on the development of sailing as a sport? And when and why did the Olympics last come to Scotland?

George Cornet was a giant in more ways that one. At over six foot tall he won international caps with the Scottish football team, was a leading cricketer and a renowned track and field athlete. But his greatest success came as a member of the British water polo team, winning successive Golds at the Olympic Games in 1908 and 1912.

Modern water polo owes its existence to Scotland. Enthusiasts came together in the 1870's to refine the rules of what, up until then, had been a rough and rudimentary affair. Nets and a bigger ball were introduced, and more emphasis was placed on skill and speed rather than on brute strength. The new sport quickly took off and Britain remained dominant in water polo for many years – winning Gold in the first four Olympic Games – two of which involved George Cornet. The great all rounder died more than half a century ago in 1952, but later this summer his name will finally be added to the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame.

Other Scots also excelled at water polo. One was David McGregor, who took part in the 1936 Berlin Olympics. David's son Bobby also excelled at water-sports – but as a swimmer not a polo player. After storming into the Scottish squad Bobby gained the nickname the Falkirk Flyer. Titles and a world record followed, and in 1964 Bobby McGregor won a Silver medal at the Tokyo Olympics. Had it not been for American Don Schollander, one of the greatest swimmers of all time, Bobby would certainly have taken the Gold medal. On his return the Queen reportedly told him "I watched your race on television. If you'd a longer finger you would have won".

Eight years later another prodigious Scottish talent burst to prominence in the pool. David Wilkie, suave and quintessentially seventies, took Silver at the Munich Games, and followed that up with both Silver and Gold at Montreal in 1976 – smashing the world record for 200 metres breaststroke in the process. Wilkie then retired, at what was a ridiculously young age. But as a result he will always be remembered as a twenty-two year old with a slightly dodgy moustache. And, in spite of choosing to live in America, Wilkie has never wavered from sentiments expressed after his Montreal victory: "I will always remain Scottish, no matter what happens, even though my accent changes, even though I live in this country, I still maintain I am Scottish."

Alison Shepherd is another legend of the swimming pool. But while David Wilkie's career was short and dramatic, hers was long and measured. A five times Olympian, in itself a remarkable feat for a swimmer, it took Shepherd ten years after her first appearance at the Seoul Games in 1988 to begin amassing an impressive haul of 16 medals in Commonwealth, European and World Championships. Her best form came almost at the end of her career when, in 2002, she became the first Scot since David Wilkie to swim to Commonwealth Gold.

But Scottish success can be seen in areas other than swimming. Peter Heatley, now a member of the British Olympic Committee, dominated diving for twenty years from the late nineteen thirties. The highlight of his career was three successive victories in the British Empire and Commonwealth Games. Scotland has also produced a regular crop of champion canoeists, and both Campbell Walsh and Helen Reeves, medal winners four years ago in Athens, could add to the medal tally this summer in Beijing.

Given the vagaries of our weather, yachting might not seem the most typical of sports for Scotland. But the Firth of Clyde has been a popular venue for over a century. Back in 1908 Thomas Glen-Coats assembled a crew to compete in the 12-metres class at that year's London Olympics. He was guaranteed at least a Silver medal as only one other entrant came forward – the Merseyside yacht Mouchette. It would have been mad to send both boats to Cowes on the Isle of Wight, where the other yachting events were being held and so, on the toss of a coin, it was decided that the three race series would be held on the Clyde. Glen-Coats and his crew won the first two legs, clinching Olympic Gold in Scottish waters.

This victory was a huge boost to yachting in Scotland. But it was a sport that had another, even more notable, devotee. Glasgow-born Sir Thomas Lipton founded the tea empire which bears his name. But he was also the most persistent entrant in the history of the America's Cup. Between 1899 and 1930 Lipton challenged for the trophy no less than five times. His well publicised efforts, all of which ended in failure, earned him a specially designed award for "the best of all losers." But the publicity Lipton received on both sides of the Atlantic was better than the best advertising campaign and made his tea brand famous in the United States.

Lipton remained true to his humble roots and on his death in 1931 he bequeathed the majority of his fortune to Glasgow, including his yachting trophies, which are now on display at the city's Kelvingrove Art Gallery and Museum.

Sailing, as pioneered as a sport by Lipton and the Royal Clyde Yacht Club was taken to a new level by Campbeltown's Rodney Pattison. Domestically dominant, Pattison took the Gold medal in Mexico in 1968 – and when he repeated the feat four years later he became the first Scot since George Cornet to win successive Olympic titles.

To mark this achievement Pattison was given the honour of bearing the flag at the opening ceremony of the 1976 Games in Montreal – where he also added Olympic Silver to his medal tally.

Pattison was feted at home, receiving the MBE and being inducted to both the Sailing Hall of Fame and, in 2003, to the Scottish Sports Hall of Fame. And he inspired others to, quite literally, follow in his wake. Twenty years after Pattison's first Olympic triumph in Mexico, Michael McIntyre took Gold in the "Star" class in the 1988 Seoul games. Shirley Robertson continued that remarkable stream of Scottish yachting success when winning Gold in both the 2000 and 2004 Olympic Games. She sailed to win and for the love of her sport. Financially, however, it was hard going. In spite of Scottish success on and in the water, even the top athletes have struggled for funding. But as Shirley Robertson stated in 1995: "If I'm in debt, then I'm in debt. When you're trying to be the best in the world, debt is irrelevant." Sponsorship and lottery funding have eased matters, and as Shirley's trophy cabinet proves, she is the best in the world.

And being the best is what drives all of our top water sportsmen and women. Take top rower Katherine Grainger. She has four successive world titles and two Olympic Silver medals to her name and has just been named as one of the first inductees into Edinburgh University's Sports Hall of Fame. But what Britain's most successful oarswoman craves beyond anything else is an Olympic Gold. Mind you, there are other things on her mind – like finishing her PhD on homicide. In the past, Katherine has hinted at a correlation between her chosen sport and murderers. "The same extreme behaviour you get in sports people, which leads some of them to be very successful, can also be incredibly disruptive in other people if led in the wrong direction." It puts a whole new slant on the notion of killing off the opposition this summer in Beijing.

Courtesy of Scotland.org - The Scottish Government . 

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