CITY pupils set off on a special journey as they launched the Schools' Baton Relay to celebrate the Glasgow 2014 Commonwealth Games.

Lord Provost Sadie Docherty handed over the specially designed baton to pupils at Balornock Primary School to begin its 203-mile journey round the city.

It contains her message for the young people which will be read at every school the baton visits.

More than 70 schools and nurseries will take part in the 10-month relay, choosing their own ways of transporting the baton from school to school.

Each school will represent a Commonwealth nation, and the baton will follow the route of the Queen's Baton, visiting the chosen school which is twinned with that country.

Saracen Primary school, twinned with Sri Lanka, has already organised a Sri Lankan tuk tuk to take the baton to Chirnsyde Primary on Wednesday, October 23.

The baton itself was designed by Liam Doherty, 14, from St Andrew's Secondary, who won a city-wide design competition funded by Glasgow and Cube Housing Associations' Gold Medal Legacy programme.

Made by local company Product Design it is based on the theme of 'On the Road to Victory' and features a core which lights up and designs based on Glasgow's heritage.

Mrs Docherty said: "This is a wonderful opportunity for our schoolchildren to be actively involved in the countdown to the 2014 Commonwealth Games.

"The fact that the Schools' Baton Relay is mirroring the Queen's Baton and using the schools twinned with each country the baton will be travelling to is a genius idea.

"Over the next nine months the excitement will mount as schools celebrate the baton coming to their school and local community and raising the profile of the games to as wide an audience as possible."

The launch of the Schools' Baton, organised by the council's active schools co-ordinators, follows hot on the heels of the Queen's Baton, which began its 190,000km, 248-day journey from Glasgow Airport on Thursday.

matty.sutton@eveningtimes.co.uk