After-Dinner Speakers in Scotland: Scottish Names to Book
Scottish after-dinner speakers to book in Scotland, from Colin Montgomerie and Sam Torrance to Judy Murray, grouped by football, rugby, golf and hosts.
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After-dinner speakers in Scotland are usually booked for one of three rooms: a football or rugby club dinner, a golf day, or a corporate awards night. Scottish after-dinner speakers cover all three, from Scotland internationals and Ryder Cup captains to Olympic champions, BBC broadcasters and a Glasgow comedian.
Below are 22 of them, each Scottish by birth, upbringing or cap, grouped by the kind of dinner they suit. For a wider list, see PepTalk's after-dinner speakers and after-dinner sports speakers, or the guide to speakers and hosts for sports club dinners.
Who are the best Scottish football after-dinner speakers?
The best-known Scottish football after-dinner speakers PepTalk works with are Gordon Strachan, Alan McInally and Kenny Burns. Between them they cover World Cups, a Bundesliga title, two European Cups and the Scotland manager's job, which gives a football club dinner or sportsman's dinner plenty to ask about.
Gordon Strachan
Edinburgh-born Gordon won 50 Scotland caps and played at two World Cups, then managed Celtic to three league titles in a row and led the national team from 2013 to 2017. He is as well known for his dry press conference one-liners as for his medals.
Interested in booking Gordon? Get in touch with the PepTalk team.
Alan McInally
Ayr-born Alan played up front for Celtic, Aston Villa and Bayern Munich, winning the Scottish title in 1986 and the Bundesliga in 1990. He went to the 1990 World Cup with Scotland, and football fans know him from years of match reporting on Sky Sports' Soccer Saturday.
Interested in booking Alan? Get in touch with the PepTalk team.
Kenny Burns
Glasgow-born Kenny won 20 Scotland caps and was part of Brian Clough's Nottingham Forest side that won the league title in 1978 and the European Cup in 1979 and 1980. The Football Writers' Association named him Footballer of the Year in 1978.
Interested in booking Kenny? Get in touch with the PepTalk team.
Which Scottish rugby names speak at dinners?
Scottish rugby after-dinner speakers include Sir Ian McGeechan, Gavin Hastings, Rory Lawson and James Lang. That covers the 1990 Grand Slam from both the coach's box and the pitch, four Lions tours as head coach, and a Scotland international from the current generation for a younger room. For names from the other home nations, see rugby legends for after-dinner entertainment.
Sir Ian McGeechan
Ian won 32 caps for Scotland, coached the side to the 1990 Grand Slam and led the British and Irish Lions as head coach on four tours between 1989 and 2009. He was knighted in 2010. Book him for a rugby dinner that wants the view from the coach's box.
Learn more and book Sir Ian McGeechan →
Rory Lawson
Dunfermline-born Rory won 31 caps at scrum-half and captained Scotland, playing his club rugby for Edinburgh, Gloucester and Newcastle Falcons. He is the grandson of commentator Bill McLaren, and now works as a broadcaster and executive coach.
Learn more and book Rory Lawson →
James Lang
James has six Scotland caps and has played his club rugby for Harlequins and Edinburgh. His talks cover leadership lessons from the pitch and dealing with setbacks.
Learn more and book James Lang →Gavin Hastings
Edinburgh-born Gavin won 61 Scotland caps, 20 of them as captain, and was central to the 1990 Grand Slam. He toured twice with the British and Irish Lions and captained them in 1993.
Interested in booking Gavin? Get in touch with the PepTalk team.
Which Scottish golfers suit a golf day dinner?
For a golf day dinner in Scotland, the Scottish golfers to book are Colin Montgomerie, Sam Torrance and Andrew Coltart. All three played in the Ryder Cup and two of them captained Europe to a win, so the stories run from The Belfry to the commentary box.
Colin Montgomerie
Glasgow-born Colin won a record eight European Tour Order of Merit titles, seven of them in a row, and 31 European Tour events. He played in eight Ryder Cups and captained Europe to victory in 2010.
Learn more and book Colin Montgomerie →
Sam Torrance
Sam, from Largs, won 21 European Tour titles and played in eight consecutive Ryder Cups. He holed the winning putt at The Belfry in 1985 and returned there as captain to win again in 2002.
Learn more and book Sam Torrance →
Andrew Coltart
Dumfries-born Andrew won twice on the European Tour and played in the 1999 Ryder Cup. He has been part of the Sky Sports golf commentary team since 2011.
Interested in booking Andrew? Get in touch with the PepTalk team.
Which Scottish champions suit an awards dinner?
Scottish Olympians and world champions suit an awards dinner or a corporate evening where the room is mixed. The names here include an Olympic rowing champion in Baroness Katherine Grainger DBE, Judy Murray OBE and Jamie Murray OBE from Scotland's best-known tennis family, 13-time Grand Prix winner David Coulthard and a seven-time world snooker champion.
Baroness Katherine Grainger DBE
Born in Glasgow and raised in Aberdeenshire, Katherine won medals at five consecutive Olympic Games, including gold at London 2012. She now chairs the British Olympic Association and sits in the House of Lords as a crossbench peer.
Learn more and book Baroness Katherine Grainger DBE →
Judy Murray OBE
Judy won 64 Scottish tennis titles as a player, captained Great Britain's Fed Cup team from 2011 to 2016 and raised two Grand Slam champions in Andy and Jamie. She speaks about spotting and developing talent, starting from Scotland's local courts.
Learn more and book Judy Murray OBE →
Jamie Murray OBE
Jamie grew up in Dunblane and has won seven Grand Slam doubles titles, two in men's doubles and five in mixed. He reached world number one in doubles in 2016 and was part of the Great Britain team that won the Davis Cup in 2015.
Learn more and book Jamie Murray OBE →
David Coulthard
Twynholm-born David won 13 Grands Prix across 15 seasons with Williams, McLaren and Red Bull. He is now a commentator and analyst on Channel 4's Formula One coverage.
Learn more and book David Coulthard →
Elise Christie
Livingston-born Elise won three short track speed skating world titles in 2017 and competed at three Winter Olympics. She speaks openly about setbacks and mental health.
Learn more and book Elise Christie →
Graeme Obree
Graeme has lived in Scotland almost all his life and broke cycling's world hour record in 1993 and again in 1994. He won the world pursuit title twice, and his story was told in the 2006 film The Flying Scotsman.
Learn more and book Graeme Obree →
Stoltman Brothers
Tom and Luke Stoltman are from Invergordon in the Highlands. Tom is a three-time World's Strongest Man and Luke a two-time Europe's Strongest Man, and together they speak about autism, mental health and competing at the top of strength sport.
Learn more and book Stoltman Brothers →Stephen Hendry
Edinburgh-born Stephen won seven world snooker titles in the 1990s and 36 ranking events. He now works as a television pundit and runs the Cue Tips YouTube channel.
Interested in booking Stephen? Get in touch with the PepTalk team.
Mark Beaumont
Blairgowrie-born Mark cycled around the world in 78 days and 14 hours in 2017, breaking the previous record by 44 days. He speaks about setting targets that look impossible and breaking them into stages.
Interested in booking Mark? Get in touch with the PepTalk team.
Who can host a dinner in Scotland as well as speak?
Jane Dougall, Hazel Irvine and Rosco McClelland can all host a dinner in Scotland as well as speak. Jane and Hazel are BBC sports presenters who host awards nights and interview guests on stage, and Rosco is a Glasgow comedian who works as a compère. PepTalk's guide to comedians, hosts and after-dinner speakers explains the difference between the three roles.
Jane Dougall
Jane is a BBC sports presenter and correspondent who created Britain's first television programme dedicated to women's sport. She hosts awards nights and can chair a Q&A with a sporting guest.
Learn more and book Jane Dougall →
Hazel Irvine
St Andrews-born Hazel has presented BBC coverage of the Olympic Games, snooker's Triple Crown events and major golf across more than 30 years in sports journalism. She can host a sports dinner or interview a guest on stage.
Interested in booking Hazel? Get in touch with the PepTalk team.
Rosco McClelland
Glasgow comedian Rosco won Scottish Comedian of the Year in 2016 and the Sir Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow Award in 2025. He appears regularly on BBC Scotland and works as a compère as well as a stand-up.
Interested in booking Rosco? Get in touch with the PepTalk team.
How do you choose an after-dinner speaker for a Scottish event?
Choose an after-dinner speaker for a Scottish event by starting with the room. A club dinner wants someone from the sport, or close to it. A corporate awards night with a mixed audience usually does better with an Olympian, a broadcaster or a comedian whose stories work for people who don't follow the game.
The Scottish dinner calendar has its own peaks. Burns Suppers cluster around January 25th, St Andrew's Day falls on November 30th, and Six Nations weekends fill Edinburgh when Scotland play at Murrayfield. Raise the date with PepTalk as soon as it's fixed.
Where a speaker lives affects the cost. Some of the names above are based in Scotland and others in England, so ask PepTalk who is local to your venue before you shortlist.
» Explore: Speakers in Edinburgh Speakers in Glasgow
Frequently Asked Questions
How much does an after-dinner speaker in Scotland cost?
An after-dinner speaker in Scotland costs from a few thousand pounds for a current player or broadcaster to five figures for a Ryder Cup captain or Formula One race winner. Send PepTalk the date, venue and shortlist for an exact quote.
How far in advance should you book an after-dinner speaker in Scotland?
Book an after-dinner speaker in Scotland three to six months ahead, and earlier for Burns Suppers in late January and end-of-season club dinners in May and June. Start the conversation as soon as the date is confirmed.
Can PepTalk recommend a Scottish speaker for a Burns Supper?
Yes, PepTalk can recommend a Scottish speaker for a Burns Supper. Tell the team the size of the room and whether you want sport, comedy or a host, and they will suggest names who suit the evening.
Do Scottish after-dinner speakers travel to events outside Scotland?
Yes, Scottish after-dinner speakers travel to events outside Scotland, and several are based in England. Travel and accommodation are usually added to the fee, so a speaker based near the venue keeps the total down.
💡 Planning a dinner in Scotland and want a Scottish name at the top table? Tell us the date and the room, and we'll find the right PepTalk expert for it. Send us a message via the chat and we'll take it from there. Remember, it's always a good time to get a PepTalk!
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