Voters from the Caribbean and Americas regions of the Commonwealth Games Federation have been speaking about their time in Scotland during a four-day trip to view the bid for Glasgow to host the Commonwealth Games in 2014.

They will spend the weekend receiving extensive tours of the proposed venues for the Games and viewing presentations on the city's bid.

Only Scotland and Nigeria remain in the race to host the Games in 2014, with all 71 countries and territories in the Commonwealth voting in a secret ballot in Sri Lanka on 9 November.

Speaking at a press conference today, delegates said they are very much enjoying their time in Glasgow. 

Steve Stoute of Barbados said: “It has been a very productive visit. We have visited amongst other things the site for the Games Village, and the fact that the athletes will be able to walk [to the Opening Ceremony] I think is a major plus because it is always an arduous situation for the Opening Ceremony for the athletes as they are usually held in a holding area for three or four hours. This I think is one of the highlights of the Bid.”

Mr Stoute, President of the Barbados National Olympic Committee and Commonwealth Games Association, added that he found the city of Glasgow “very impressive.”

“I was here many years ago and there has certainly been a metamorphosis in the city, it is very impressive.

“Making the athletes comfortable is the number one element in a Bid and I’ve seen all that here.”

Falkland Islands delegate Patrick Watts MBE said that as a massive football fan he had enjoyed seeing Celtic Park, where the Opening Ceremony would take place, as well as Ibrox Stadium, the home of Rangers FC, which would host Rugby 7s, and was looking forward to taking in Scotland’s National Stadium, Hampden, later today. 

He said: “When you realise that there will be events at all three of these venues it does send shivers through you. There is a lot of tradition here in Glasgow so it is an ideal place to hold a Games.

“Glasgow is more than capable of holding a Games. There is so much in place already and it just a case of modernizing some of them. You have all these places already there. Glasgow is ready already to hold a Games.”

First Minister Alex Salmond hosted a reception for the delegates yesterday, with sports minister Stewart Maxwell noting that excitement over the possibility of holding the games is palpable in Scotland.

Mr Maxwell said: "I'm extremely pleased to welcome all the delegates from the Commonwealth Games Federation's Americas and Caribbean region. During their visit we'll show them why Glasgow is the perfect venue for the Games in 2014.

"I am certain our guests will be impressed by the preparations we have already made to make sure we have the state-of-the-art facilities and transport infrastructure worthy of this world-class festival of sport.

"But even more importantly, they will see that the whole of Scotland is buzzing with excitement at the possibility of hosting the 2014 Games."

Delegates are also meeting representatives from Glasgow City Council and the Commonwealth Games Council for Scotland during their trip. The delegates in the group are from Barbados, Trinidad and Tobago, Anguilla, Antigua, Dominica, St Kitts and Nevis, Bermuda, Grenada, Turks & Caicos, the Falkland Islands and Canada.

Scotland will receive visits later this year from the Games Federation Executive board and African voters, as well as a catch-up visit in September. The voters from the European region visited the city in 2006, while the Asia and Oceania regions visiting Scotland last month.