Sixteen years on from staging Scotland's first Games, Edinburgh was once again the host city. 

Team England sought to capitalise on a team of fantastic talent, among it Steve Cram, Daley Thompson, Steve Redgrave, Gillian Clark, Sarah Hardcastle and Tessa Sanderson. 

It was Team England's biggest ever delegation at the Games with a total of 290 athletes and a further 93 officials. Edinburgh 1970 was the last time rowing had featured and a legend in the making made his mark - Steve Redgrave. 

Winning three gold medals and setting records he stole the show, winning the single sculls, coxless pairs with Andy Holmes and coxed fours with Martin Cross, Adam Clift, Andy Holmes and Adrian Ellison. Redgrave later said that it was his three titles in Edinburgh that prevented him from an early retirement, long before he won his four other Olympic golds.

In the pool Adrian Moorhouse added the 200m breaststroke title to his 100m gold four years earlier to confirm his place as a Commonwealth Games favourite. 

Sarah Hardcastle won her first medals at the Games at the second attempt with two gold medal victories in the 400m and 800m freestyle events.