From a giant tartan kilt, complete with sporran, to supersized cans of Irn-Bru propping up the Forth Bridge, the so-called “Friendly Games” were treated to a quintessential Scottish welcome inside a packed and proud Celtic Park.

It was that kind of night. It was that kind of opening ceremony.

If the three hours of non-stop Scottish pop anthems beforehand weren’t a sure-fire sign of things to come, then the elaborate series of extravagant sets depicting and celebrating all things north of Hadrian’s Wall should have been a dead giveaway.

Organisers had promised that Scotland’s most prestigious live show would have a distinctly Glaswegian accent, if not slightly more intelligible than the strong dialect spoken in the east end of the city where the Games are predominantly being held.

And boy did they stick to their word.

While the unmistakable skirl of the Highland bagpipes served as the ceremony’s soundtrack, there were musical offerings from Rod Stewart, Celtic’s most famous fan, and Britain’s Got Talent finalist Susan Boyle.

The who’s who of Scotland’s most decorated continued with Sir Chris Hoy, Britain’s greatest Olympian, and James McAvoy, the Hollywood movie star, among the supporting characters.

Heck, even the Loch Ness Monster, Bonnie Scotland’s favourite cryptid, reared its head during the three-hour extravaganza, which featured more than 6,500 athletes from 71 Commonwealth countries and beamed into about a billion homes around the world.

The all-singing, all-dancing affair then gave prominence to the evening’s prime purpose, the athlete’s parade, as camera flashes continued to flicker and illuminate the stadium’s aisles.

In keeping with the tone of the rest of the evening, Bermuda’s athletes, like all of the nations, were led out by a Scottish Terrier scurrying along a few feet ahead of Micah Franklin, the Island’s flag bearer.

Drawing an appreciative chorus of cheers from the crowd, possibly in response to the sight of another set of male athletes more than happy to bare their knees, Bermuda’s contingent smiled, danced and waved back in return.

In the absence of long jumper Tyrone Smith, who does not arrive in Glasgow until tomorrow, it was left to Aaron Evans, the 800 metres runner, to play up to the cameras with an impromptu jig while sporting the Island’s customary red Bermuda shorts.

His dance moves, however, weren’t quite as eye-catching as Smith’s at the London Olympics opening ceremony that caused a storm on Twitter two years ago.

The expectant mood had been slowly simmering in anticipation of the host nation’s march, with their Celtic cousins, Northern Ireland and Wales, enjoying particularly rousing receptions.

And by the time Scotland’s team, decked out in light blue and tartan outfits, emerged from behind the proverbial curtain, as the Shamen’s dance classic Move Any Mountain blasted from the gargantuan sound system, the atmosphere had reached fever pitch.

The ceremony culminated with an impressive fireworks display that filled the night’s sky as euphoric chants of “Scotland” rang out from the 35,000-strong crowd.

It was that kind of night. It was that kind of opening ceremony.