Of a total of 114 athletes who contributed directly to the home team's outstanding tally of 65 Olympic medals, just 11 were Scots-born.

For the sake of comparison, nine Team GB medallists were born outside the British Isles completely and a further seven, including Jade Jones, the taekwondo gold medallist, in Wales.

The analysis comes at a time when sport is starting to play a part in increasingly lively political campaigning ahead of a referendum on Scottish independence in September.

Alistair Carmichael, the Scottish Secretary, warned on Sunday that "a host of great British institutions - from the BBC and the National Lottery to the Met Office and our Olympic teams" would have to be broken up in the event of independence.

British Olympic sport, of course, receives much of its funding from, and hence owes much of its recent success to, the National Lottery.

Alistair Carmichael has warned Scotland's independence would break up Britain's Olympic teams ©Getty Images



The Scottish contingent comprised some of the biggest names in Britain's 2012 Olympic effort, including cyclist Sir Chris Hoy, who added two gold medals to bring his career total to six, tennis-player Andy Murray, who won a gold and a silver, oarswoman Katherine Grainger and show-jumper Scott Brash.

All told, Scots-born athletes had a hand in seven gold medals, four silver and one bronze at the London 2012 Olympics.

Great Britain's total was 29 gold medals, 17 silver and 19 bronze – the highest tally since 1908 and enough to secure third place in the medals table ahead of Russia.

Sport's role in the potentially divisive campaign looks destined to grow in the run-up to the vote, with the Scottish city of Glasgow preparing to host the Commonwealth Games in July and August.


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