The Biggest and Best Scottish International Masters Championship Yet: A recap
A whopping 307 players travelled from all around the globe (and also down the road) to compete at the 2025 Scottish International Masters Championships. This year was so big two venues had to be utilised – Sir Craig Reedie Centre and the Glasgow School of Sport a unique opportunity to be reminded of where some of Badminton Scotland’s greatest players began over the tournament.
The development of the tournament has seen an increase in quality of competition on the court as well as an event; showing off the best of the legendary Scottish hospitality.
Those stepping onto court ranged from Commonwealth, European and World Series medallists to those getting involved in Masters Badminton for the first time. The size of entry also marked the Scottish Masters Badminton Championship becoming on of the largest Individual European Masters events.
With plenty of action across the weekend there were certainly many highlights with Una Hunter taking the first Scottish gold in the Womens Singles 50s on Friday night, closely followed by the Competition Director himself Dan Travers in the Mens Singles 65 who beat his doubles partner and Badminton Scotland President Colin Campbell to take the title. Frances Mclure was the final Scottish singles Champion of Friday beating England’s Hannah Seagraves to win the Womens Singles 35, coming back with a vengeance from that morning’s Robert McCoig loss against Seagraves.
Mark Mackay had to wait until the next morning to take his Mens Singles 45 victory over Stephen Morrison in a smooth final winning 21-8, 21-8. Craig Young took the final Scotland Singles Gold, coming off a knee injury at the end of 2024 making the title ever sweeter.
In the Mens Singles 70s 2024 European Senior Championship Gold Medallist Bo Christer Bertilson took a humble victory over long time opposition, Scotland’s Leon Douglas.
Moving on to the doubles which provided some of the fiercest competition across the weekend. Scotland swept the Mens Doubles 45 category taking all six top spots. The top seeded pairs took chronologically took their positions on the podium with Craig Lamb and Mark Mackay taking gold, Ross Campbell and Frazer Mcculloch with silver and Warren Anderson and Alun Jones taking bronze. In 4/6 stood Steven Fraser and Colin Swan, Robert Hutchison and Vilas Nair, and Dan Aslan Ahmed and Peter Taylor.
Alan Mcmillan and Craig Robertson won the Mens Doubles 50 final over Morten Aarup Herbst and Carsten Loesch 21-18, 21-12. It was a second gold for Frances Mclure in the womens doubles with partner Jody Barral beating Kimberley Clague and Kelly Fairey 21-13, 22-20.
Many Scots made it to some incredible finals. Dan Travers and Christine Black fought an incredibly close three ender losing 21-23,21-17, 18-21 to Ian Purton and Christine Crossley, a pair they have faced many times over the years in the Mixed Doubles 65.
Other silver medallists included Gordon Keith in Mens Singles 60s, Ewan Brunton and Keith Campbell in the Mens Doubles 40s, Lorna Stafford and partner Mhairi Armstrong (ENG) in the Womens Doubles 40, Lynne Campbell and Helen Milne in the Womens Doubles 50, Craig Robertson with partner Jane Ashfold (ENG) in the Mixed Doubles 50. Mark and Shona MacKay took silver in Mixed Doubles 35, the final match of the weekend saving one of the most intense finals for the end finishing 10-21,21-16, 19-21 to Nikita Kolomnin and Kimberley Clague.
Speaking to the Competitions Director Dan Travers about the event he said “It’s been tough to organise with 307 people taking part. We had a good team behind us but special mention to Craig Robertson who has done a fantastic job, his enthusiasm about the sport and love of the sport and drive and desire to make the sport a bigger success is amazing. It is fantastic for it have grown so much, with it being the 25th anniversary of tournament and to have it with the greatest number of entrants we’ve ever had has been wonderful.”
The International Masters 2026 will take place January 2026 and when asked about plans for it Travers laughed and said ‘Can’t even think about that one yet’.
Full Results Can be found: 2025 Scottish International Masters Championships | Badminton Scotland
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