SCHOOLS across Clydebank are celebrating after receiving awards from sportscotland.

Edinbarnet, Kilbowie, St Mary’s, Goldenhill, St Stephen’s, St Joseph's and Gavinburn primaries have all achieved a gold School Sport Award.

Meanwhile, Carleith, Clydemuir, Linnvale, Our Lady of Loretto and Whitecrook are all holding a silver award.

The town’s MSP, Gil Paterson, said he was delighted to hear the news and submitted a motion of congratulations to the Scottish Parliament.

Mr Paterson told the Post: “Physical fitness is so important not just for the health of our young folk but also for their achievement at school.

“If you are physically fit you are alert and learn more – research shows that children who participate in physical activity do better in their academic work.

“And exercise is fun, so I’m delighted to see our local schools placing such importance on it.”

The sportscotland awards are a national initiative designed to encourage schools to continuously improve physical education (PE) and school sport opportunities.

The award puts young people at the forefront of the decision making and planning of PE and sport in their school and helps schools to put this at the heart of their planning, practice and ethos.

Sportscotland announced that a record 747 schools now hold an award across the country, with the number of schools holding the highest gold award also setting a new record at 399.