A MASCOT has been unveiled for the European Athletics Indoor Championships in Glasgow next year – Scottee the Scottie dog.

Scottee is based on a design Crookston Castle Primary School pupil Rachel Joss submitted to a competition open to Glasgow schools. But Rachel didn’t know she had won until he turned up at her school with top Scottish runner and championships ambassador Laura Muir.

Organisers say Scottee will play a huge part in welcoming some of the world’s leading athletes to Glasgow as they descend on the Emirates Arena between March 1-3, when the championships return to the city for the first time since 1990. Primary six pupil Rachel said: “I love Scottee. I can’t believe my entry is now the Glasgow 2019 mascot. To see my design brought to life in front of my whole school, was just overwhelming.”

Muir, who happens to be a vet, helped a panel that had the tough decision of choosing the mascot. She said: “It was an absolute pleasure to be involved in the selection process and help chose the winning design. Scottee was a favourite from the start and Rachel’s design was amazing. She should be very proud.”

Billy Garrett, director of sport and events at Glasgow Life and co-chair of the Glasgow 2019 steering committee, said: “Glasgow has become renowned for hosting some of the world’s major sporting events, and holds citizens at the heart of everything it does. To have a local school pupil, in this, Scotland’s Year of Young People design the mascot is fantastic.

Cherry Alexander, major events director at British Athletics and sport director for Glasgow 2019, said: “The unveiling of the brilliant Scottee the Scottie dog as the official mascot for Glasgow 2019 is another exciting milestone moment as we move closer to the championships in March.”