A YEAR ago just now, Glasgow was basking in the enjoyment of the Commonwealth Games.

The opening ceremony was a triumph.

It was a stunning display of art and culture, showcasing all that is best about Scotland - and a few of the cliches about us too.

Who will ever forget the dancing teacakes, the Scottie dogs, the Glasgow Kiss, and the outfits worn by Team Scotland that we had all mocked at first, but then agreed looked great on the night?

And then over two glorious weeks of sporting competition, our Team Scotland athletes, together with those from 70 other countries, thrilled us with their medal winning performances.

And of course the Games - by common consent the best ever - were about so much more than the sport.

The atmosphere in the city was electric - tourists really got to see Glasgow at its best and we locals loved seeing it looking so great.

Glasgow more than lived up to its billing as the friendly city.

And to add the icing on the cake, the sun shone brightly for much of the time.

All of that - and so much more - will live long in our memories.

There is no doubt in my mind that this generation of Glaswegians will tell their grandkids about that magical fortnight in summer 2014, when Glasgow became the centre of the universe and did itself proud.

But fantastic though those two weeks were, what matters now is the lasting impact that they had.

It was always the intention that the Games would leave a legacy that would be enjoyed by generations to come.

And it has to be said that there is now mounting evidence to suggest that they will do just that.

There is no doubt that the east end of Glasgow has been physically transformed - the Emirates arena is a world class sporting facility, as is Tollcross Swimming Centre.

There are also improved transport links, and the athletes village is now providing quality housing for many families.

When I visited Crownpoint Sports Complex last week and asked one of the wee girls there where she lived, it gave me a real thrill to hear her say 'the athletes village'.

And, of course, the houses there will be complemented over the next few years by new community facilities, including a school.

The Games brought other benefits too - the reason for my visit to Crownpoint was to officially open the new athletics track, which is part of the track used at Hampden for the Games.

It has now been relaid at Crownpoint and will provide an excellent facility for young athletes for years to come.

And, of course, they'll all be able to boast that they run on the same track that Usain Bolt ran on when he won gold in Glasgow - and, indeed, the track that Scottish athletes Libby Clegg, Eilidh Child and Lynsey Sharp won their medals on too.

There have been big financial benefits from the Games too.

The Post-Games Report that was published by the Scottish Government last week found that in the eight years between winning the bid and hosting the event, the Games contributed more than £740 million to Scotland’s economy.

£390 million of that directly benefited the economy of Glasgow.

The Games also helped to support more than 2,000 jobs in each of these eight years - more than half of them here in Glasgow.

The city council's £50m employment initiative also helped around 6,000 young Glaswegians, veterans, over 50s, and graduates into employment, apprenticeships or training.

And, in addition to all of that, there were 20,000 different opportunities for people to volunteer in and around the Games - many of the volunteers were the wonderful Clydesiders, who did so much to make the whole experience what it was.

And it's not just in Glasgow that the impact can be felt.

There are 140 community sport hubs all across the country now as part of the legacy programme.

These facilities will make it easier for people to get involved in sport and physical activity which, in turn, might help us turn around out long standing reputation for poor health.

Most of us can't be world class athletes - however much we might like to be - but we can all enjoy sport if the facilities are there for us.

So all in all, one year on, we can look back with pride on the 2014 Glasgow Commonwealth Games.

They entertained us - but they have benefitted us in many other ways too.

And long may that continue.