20th Commonwealth Games in Glasgow open

Shay Neal, from Northland, is in the men's hockey team at teh Commonwealth Games. PICTURE/Michael Cunningham

The 20th Commonwealth Games in Glasgow has opened today in Scottish style.

Bagpipers, dancers and kilt-clad singers welcomed a packed stadium and millions of television viewers to Scotland.

The opening of the games is being aired live on Sky TV.

The song picked out traditional Scottish themes and geography, and gently mocked its inclement weather: "Don't forget to pack an umbrella".

Hundreds of performers packed the stadium in a colourful display depicting Scottish life and the country's history.

"It's a land of invention and culture, that's true, but all that matters is that Scotland's now full of people just like you," the singers sang."Welcome to Scotland."