Forty-one furry bundles of joy stole the show as the 20th Commonwealth Games burst into life with an opening ceremony which proudly celebrated everything that makes Glasgow and Scotland unique.

There were kilts aplenty and the Loch Ness monster, along with many other national icons such as whisky, haggis, golf, shortbread, shipyard cranes and William Wallace of Braveheart fame.

There were in-jokes in the manner of the lawnmowers at the Sydney Olympics opening ceremony, and other Scottish staples such as Tunnocks tea cakes and the celebrated hangover cure Irn Bru, which may need a bit more explaining for many watching the ceremony from around the world.

And most memorably of all, each of the 71 competing nations and territories was led into Celtic Park on Thursday morning (AEST) by a Scottish Terrier wearing a tartan coat emblazoned with the country’s name.

There were 41 dogs on duty, with most of them doing a double shift including a quick costume change.

Some of the Scotties strode forward with purpose, others scurried from side to side and the shy ones had to be picked up and carried by their owners.

The iconic dogs were the defining image of a ceremony that contained plenty of memorable moments.

But Glasgow 2014 organisers sensibly made no attempt to emulate Danny Boyle’s massive production which kicked off the 2012 London Olympics.

After all, the former Empire Games is a very different affair to the five-ringed circus.

For the London Olympics, Queen Elizabeth II was on hand, seemingly jumping out of a helicopter with James Bond and into the stadium.

The Queen played a far more traditional role in Glasgow, entering the arena with Prince Philip as Susan Boyle sang Mull of Kintyre.

Rod Stewart was another celebrated Scottish singer to play a key role in a ceremony that captured the mood of a Glasgow house party.

The pipes and drums of the Royal Scottish Regiments provided a stirring soundtrack for portions of the show before a sold-out crowd of 40,100.

In a break from tradition, the 71 competing nations entered the arena in continental groups, rather than in alphabetical order.

Tonga endeared themselves to the crowd by brandishing a Celtic soccer shirt as they marched.

And on a more sombre note, the Malaysians wore black armbands in tribute to the 298 people who lost their lives when flight MH17 was shot down over Ukraine last week.

The ceremony also had a UNICEF fundraising element, with the likes of champion Scottish cyclist Sir Chris Hoy and actor Ewan McGregor reminding the crowd – both in the arena and around the world – of the difference they could make to impoverished and ill children throughout the Commonwealth.

Malaysia’s Nicol David, Australia’s Ian Thorpe representing Oceania, Canadian Paralympic legend Chantal Petitclerc, Kenyan runner Kip Keino representing Africa, Shelley-Ann Fraser-Pryce representing the Caribbean, and Scotland’s Graeme Randall were the Commonwealth Games flag carriers.

The Australian contingent of about 375 athletes, led by flag bearer Anna Meares, entered the stadium as AC/DC’s “Back in Black” rang out through the stadium.

Source: AAP