Scottish sports chiefs are hoping to see a new generation of Olympic stars emerge from the city of Perth.
Climbing will feature for the first time at the Tokyo Games in 2020 having been added to the event in August.
And it is hoped that some of the medal hopefuls may hone their skills at Perth College UHI, where Scotland’s newest indoor climbing facility has been officially opened.
The Perth College Climbing Centre has taken shape within the new Academy of Sport and Wellbeing thanks to hundreds of thousands of pounds of grant support.
The first climbs were carried out by athletes Jamie Andrew, William Bosi and Polly Murray, together with primary school children from Goodlyburn Primary School and a number of Perth College UHI Outdoor Adventure students.
They aimed to demonstrate the “inclusivity” of the centre, which it is hoped will be suitable for all abilities, from newbies to performance climbing athletes, when it opens to the public on January 23.
It is the first in Scotland to meet vigorous new Mountaineering Scotland criteria that allow it to be designated as a “Level 1 Climbing Hub”.
Perth College UHI Principal Margaret Munckton said the opening of the climbing centre demonstrated the college’s commitment to enhancing student experience and to increasing participation in sport across the region.
“As the centre is fully inclusive and caters for all abilities and standards of climbers, we hope to inspire the next generation of climbers who simply enjoy the sport or possibly develop into the next Olympians of the future,” she said.
Perth College UHI was awarded £200,000 from sportscotland’s Sport Facilities Fund for the development of the centre.
The national agency for sport’s chief executive Stewart Harris said sportscotland was “committed to ensuring sporting facilities are very much part of the fabric” within communities across the country.
Mountaineering Scotland is also delighted with the new facility, which they hope will help to take Scots climbers to the pinnacle of the sport.
Development manager Kevin Howett said: “The new wall is part of a Mountaineering Scotland facilities strategy to develop Scottish climbing by offering the best facilities to grow grass-roots interest in our sport and the most up-to-date training facilities that will take Scottish climbers to the Olympics.”
At Tokyo, climbers are expected to be challenged to compete in three disciplines: sport climbing, bouldering, and speed climbing.
The combined scores will decide medal winners, though the format has proved controversial, with the three disciplines very different and highly specialised.
It is thought some of the world’s finest climbers may have difficulty undertaking all three to an “elite” level.
