OLYMPIC TORCH RELAY: Week four from Glasgow to Newcastle upon Tyne

By Angharad Hughes, Sportsbeat

KINDLED by the rays of the sun in Ancient Olympia, the Olympic torch finally arrives in the UK after a week-long journey around the home of the Games in Greece. Over the next ten weeks more than 8,000 will carry the torch - from the young to the old, the well-known to the deserving.

PIED PIPER: Matthew Cox carries the Olympic Flame on the Torch Relay leg through Lerwick (Getty Images)

JUNE 9 - DAY 22 - GLASGOW TO INVERNESS

The Olympic torch continues its journey around Scotland at one of the venues that will host the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Today's leg will cover 170 miles from Glasgow to Fort William and Inverness, involving 92 torchbearers, including TV presenter Jenni Falconer in the Highland capital.

The flame will visit Loch Lomond and take a ride on the Nevis Range Gondola and also drop on on the UCI Mountain Bike World Cup event in Fort William.

KEY TIMINGS - 06:30 - National Indoor Sports Arena, Glasgow, 07:03 - Glasgow Riverside Museum, 09:58 - Luss Pier (Loch Lomond), 13:30 - Nevis Range Gondola, 14:00 - UCI Mountain Bike World Cup

JUNE 10 - DAY 23 - ORKNEY ISLANDS TO SHETLAND ISLANDS

The Highlands and Islands stage their second of three days with the torch - which after starting its journey at Land's End will reach John O'Groats, the most northerly settlement of mainland Great Britain.

The day will start at the Orkney Islands and conclude at the Shetland Islands.

However, there has been controversy that organisers will be operating two torches on the day.

The substitute flame will be driven to John O’Groats on the morning of June 10 while the ­official flame, which will be used at the ­opening of the Games on July 27, will be on its tour of Shetland and ­Orkney.

John O’Groats was only included after locals ­complained when it was left off the official relay route.

Retired primary school teacher Wilma Taylor, who dedicated her career to engaging youngsters with sport, is the oldest torchbearer at 79 while 12-year olds Benjamin Nicolson, Bryden Priest and Dean Shearer are the youngest.

KEY TIMINGS - 14:34 - The Knab, 14:59 - Clickimin Loch, 17:30 - John O'Groats

JUNE 11 - DAY 24 - STORNOWAY TO ABERDEEN

Commencing in Stornoway on Lewis, the relay will again pass through Inverness on its way to the Granite city of Aberdeen.

This week Scotland is celebrating National School Sport Week, an initiative of the Youth Sport Trust and London 2012 partner Bank of Scotland to get more youngsters involved in physical activity.

Torchbearer Finlay Macleod needs no excuse to get fit - he was born with no lower left arm but is a regular footballer, golfer and basketball player.

Brit Award winner Emeli Sandé is the star guest at the evening celebration in Aberdeen.

KEY TIMINGS - 04:30 - Callanish Standing Stones, 10:39 - Inverness Castle 

HISTORIC: Inverness Castle will be one of the stops as the torch travels on its way to an evening celebration in Aberdeen

JUNE 12 - DAY 25 - ABERDEEN TO DUNDEE

Among today's landmarks is Peth's Scone Palace, the original home of the Stone of Destiny and the site of the coronations of the Kings of Scots.

Among those running are Sam Murray, 57, who has raised hundreds of thousands of pounds to tackle child poverty around the world.

Popular youth worker Laurie Matthew, 58, is another torchbearer while promising junior snowboarder Fin Bremner, 12, is one of the youngest to run.

But the star of the day could be Andy Coogan, who was nominated to carry the torch by four-time Olympic champion Sir Chris Hoy.

Coogan, 95, was on course to be an Olympian at the 1948 London Games until the outbreak of World War II and his athletic career never recovered after he spent three years as a Japanese prisoner of war.

"His story of survival is truly inspirational," said Hoy, Coogan's great-nephew.

KEY TIMINGS - 13:41 - Scone Palace 

INSPIRATION: Sir Chris Hoy with great uncle Andy Coogan, who he nominated to carry the Olympic torch in Dundee this week

JUNE 13 - DAY 26 - ST ANDREWS TO EDINBURGH

Starting the day at the home of golf and concluding it at Edinburgh Castle, there will be plenty of picture postcard moments.

Scottish golfer Colin Montgomerie, who guided Europe to Ryder Cup victory in 2010, is among this week's torchbearers while other star names of Scottish sport are expected to feature, including rugby player Chris Paterson.

The torch will visit Stirling Castle and cross the Forth Rail Bridge.

KEY TIMINGS - 06:20 - West Sands, St Andrews, 06:40 - St. Andrews Old Course, 10:46 - Stirling Castle, 16:09 - Forth Rail Bridge, 16:33 - Hopetoun House

JUNE 14 - DAY 27 - EDINBURGH TO ALNWICK

The torch will leave Scotland and cross the English border today into Northumberland.

Alnwick will host the evening celebration event, the conclusion of a week of Olympic themed festivities in the town.

Among the torchbearers before the flame crosses the border is promising sailor Callum Airlie, a two-time national champion and part of the Bank of Scotland Local Heroes programme.

KEY TIMINGS - 13:00 - Forest Pitch Project, 18:10 - Bamburgh Castle

JUNE 15 - DAY 28 - ALNWICK TO NEWCASTLE UPON TYNE

Today's relay will conclude with the torch being flung down a zip wire from the iconic Tyne Bridge to Newcastle's famous quayside. North-east sporting legends are expected to be among the torchbearers.

KEY TIMINGS - 08:04 - Warkworth Castle, 19:05 - Tyne Bridge Zip-Wire

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