18 May 2026
The Scottish Schools Soft Archery Championships has firmly established itself as a cornerstone of grassroots youth sports development in Scotland. On Thursday, 14th May, we saw the return of this annual national event for 2026, which offers primary school pupils a unique and accessible gateway into competitive target sports.
Utilising specialised, low-poundage equipment and sucker-tipped safety arrows, the tournament removes the cost and safety barriers traditionally associated with standard archery. The result is an inclusive environment where fun, teamwork, and school pride take centre stage.
We were delighted to welcome returning schools as well as some new schools that experienced the buzz of the competition for the first time. It was great to see an increase in entries since last year’s event, with a total of 57 pupils across 19 Schools (11 P4/5 and 8 P6/7) teams (3 pupils per school). Pupils shot 4 rounds in total with teams shooting 27 arrows per round. The P4/5 pupils shooting at 5 metres and P6/7 at 7 metres.
The national competition is deliberately designed to foster a friendly yet exciting atmosphere for young pupils. The event caters to two distinct primary school age brackets:
Primary 4/5 (P4/5), with the following schools teams entered (3 pupils per team): Redwell (Clackmannanshire), Bridge of Allan A (Stirling), Bridge of Allan B (Stirling), Brigde of Allan C (Stirling), Banchory (Clackmannanshire), Carmuirs (Falkirk), Tillicoultry (Clackmannanshire), Gracemount A (Edinburgh), Gracemount B (Edinburgh), Gracemount C (Edinburgh) and Windsor Park (Falkirk)
Primary 6/7 (P6/7), with the following school teams entered (3 pupils per team): Gracemount (Edinburgh), Craigbank (Clackmannashire), Sunnyside (Clackmannashire), Coalsnaughton (Clackmannashire), Bridge of Allan (Stirling), Carmuirs (Falkirk), Tillicoultry (Clackmannashire) and Windsor Park (Falkirk)
It was a tight contest between schools, particularly within the P4/5 age group. Taking Bronze in 3rd place were Bridge of Allan B with a score of 822, with Bridge of Allan A narrowly taking 2nd place, clinching Silver with 828. However, it was a convincing performance from the Redwell pupils who took Gold with a score of 851.
This was a similar story in the P6/7 competition. Consistent shooting from Sunnyside pupils ensured that their school team finished 3rd place to take the Bronze medal with 680. Fellow Clackmannanshire school Craigbank, had the edge and managed to secure the Silver medal with a solid performance, scoring a total of 733. However, it was Gracemount who managed to retain their crown from last year’s event, taking Gold with a score of 813 – finishing on a high with a score of 224 in the final round (the best score across the entire event)!
Pupils were treated to the opportunity to hold a real bow! Kristin Ward of University of Stirling Archery Club had brought along her Recurve Bow to show to the pupils and allowed them a chance to hold and attempt to draw it. You could see the wonder and excitement on the pupils' faces when they got the opportunity to hold the bow, some using both hands due to the weight of it! Many soon realised the sheer strength required to pull back a high-poundage real archery bow! Hopefully, some are now inspired to follow in Kristin’s footsteps!
The ultimate objective of the championships extends past a single day of medals. By introducing soft archery kits to young children, Scottish Archery bridges the gap between basic school play and local community clubs. Local clubs such as the Wee County Archers, actively provide follow-up development sessions for primary pupils who show a passion for the sport.
Robert Clark, our Communities & Workforce Development Officer shared this reflections from what was a great day:
“Over the past three years, the Soft Archery National Championships have gone from strength to strength. Huge thanks to every volunteer, teacher, and parent who helped make this event such a success. Most importantly, congratulations to every young archer who took part - the standard, sportsmanship, and talent on display were truly outstanding. The future of the sport is incredibly bright.”
We would like to take this opportunity to thank all the school pupils and staff for attending, Lornshill Academy PE Department and Young Sports Leaders (who did fabulous job!), Active Schools Clackmannanshire, Alison Mackie & Abigail Henderson from Wee County Archers and Stirling University Archery Club’s Kristin Ward.
We are already looking forward to next year's event!
