Pigeon racing in Lanarkshire and why the much-loved sport has been flying high for centuries

dailyrecord.co.uk:

It might not be the most popular sport out there, but there are a devout few Lanarkshire locals with an undying passion for pigeon racing.

The activity can see birds travel over 500 miles in a matter of hours as they're tightly clocked in fierce competitions around the world.Pigeons are taken to a chosen locations and released, tasked with returning to their respective homes the fastest.The Lanarkshire Live app is available to download now.

Get all the news from your area – as well as features, entertainment, sport and the latest on Lanarkshire’s recovery from the coronavirus pandemic – straight to your fingertips, 24/7.The free download features the latest breaking news and exclusive stories, and allows you to customise your page to the sections that matter most to you.Head to the App Store and never miss a beat in Lanarkshire - iOS - Android Better known as 'homing', the time it takes the animal to cover the distance is measured against its rate of travel, calculating which bird returns home at the highest speed.And as local group Coalburn and District Homing Club showed with a wealth of sparkling trophies at their recent awards night, the prizes can be quite impressive for this unique sport.But on January 29, the annual gathering felt more like a reunion and a celebration of club members who were once more able to meet, having not seen each other since before the pandemic.The trophy presentation and dance was held at Harris and Ollie's in Lesmahagow with guests and fellow pigeon fanciers from Tranent coming along with over 50 others on the night.

New member of the Lanarkshire club, and writer in many pigeon racing publications Mary Thomson, spoke with Lanarkshire Live about her love for homing and how she wants to