But whether the rising Olympic fever is likely to grip Scotland is less certain.
Just under 3% of Scots have planned to take leave from work to watch the games, compared to nearly 12% across the UK, according to a survey uncovered by the Sunday Herald.
Nearly seven out of 10 – 68% – said they would avoid making trips to London that they otherwise would have made during the Games duration because it will be too busy.
Around six out of 10 of those surveyed north of the Border did agree that Britain's future tourism market and the UK economy will benefit from London hosting the Olympics.
But only around one in five – 22% – of Scots believed the UK's health will benefit as a result of the Games, while across the UK the average was 28%.
Scots are also the least likely in the UK to visit London following the Olympics due to the new attractions, with only 8% saying they were likely to be influenced to take a trip by this factor.
In Scotland, just over 60% believed the London Olympics would boost the UK's reputation in the world, fewer than in the rest of the UK where 68% believed the games would have such an effect.
The findings are contained in a recently published report which tries to predict the economic impact of the London Olympics.
It concluded that while the Games will display London and the UK on the world stage this summer, it is "not certain" whether any immediate or future benefits will occur.
Report author Michael Englefield, a writer and editor at market research firm Key Note, which produced "Olympics 2012 – The Economic Impact", said the findings indicated Scots appear to be less engaged or interested in the Games.
"A lack of proximity to London, where the majority of the events are taking place is perhaps one reason for this," he said. "However, it must be noted that Hampden Park Stadium is to be used as a football venue during the Games, which may perhaps engender a greater amount of support for the Games, at least in the Glasgow area.
"Despite this, it is also true that the majority of beneficial infrastructure changes which will be left as a legacy for the Games will be in London. Perhaps this is another reason for the feelings of disengagement."
Englefield added that such feelings were not just limited to Scotland, with the poll – carried out at the end of last year – uncovering similar findings in other areas of the UK.
The build-up to the Games has seen repeated pledges that the Olympics and Paralympics – funded by just over £9 billion of public-sector cash – will benefit the whole of Britain. The UK Government is providing the majority of the funding, at just over £6bn.
Hampden Park in Glasgow will stage eight of the Olympic football matches in both the men's and women's tournaments. Ahead of the Games opening, the Olympic torch will be carried around Scotland for eight days, while dozens of cultural events will be held across the country as part of a programme for the Olympics.
According to the survey, less than one in 10 Scots – 9.4% – intend to purchase Olympic-themed merchandise, which ranges from pin badges and teddy bears to handmade glass decorations. Across the UK, the average was 22.9%, with those in East Anglia most likely to fork out for souvenirs.
The official London 2012 shop is in Scottish branches of John Lewis in Aberdeen, Edinburgh and Glasgow. A spokeswoman said that while the shops had only been launched a couple of weeks ago, there were a "number of best-sellers", including Olympic-themed tumblers, pens and jelly wristbands.
The report assessed the impact of past Games to predict the likely economic impact of London 2012.
It noted that when Sydney hosted the Olympics in 2000, the direct contribution of travel and tourism to gross domestic product was 18.3%. For Athens in 2004, the equivalent figure was 12%, but at the last Games in Beijing, it was only 6.4%
It warns that it would be "foolhardy" to assume that the current world economic state will not have any impact on the London Games and predicts a growth of 7% in travel and tourism expenditure for the UK in the wake of the Games and other events in 2012, such as the Queen's Diamond Jubilee.
"Much also depends on the perception overseas visitors and foreign television viewers receive of London and the UK from the Games," the report added.
"A good impression could lead to the travel and tourism market for the UK booming, while any lingering negative impression could potentially remove any legacy benefits in terms of travel and tourism from hosting the Games."
The London Organising Committee of the Olympic and Paralympic Games (LOCOG) did not respond to a request for comment on the report.
'WE'RE A BIT DISENGAGED BECAUSE WE SEE IT AS A LONDON EVENT' – OTHER VIEWS
Eben Wilson, director of Taxpayer Scotland, said the Olympics could be a great event, but added it was unlikely everyone would become "budding sporting heroes" overnight.
"I think Scots are a bit disengaged because we see it as a London event," he said. "The legacy is going to be minimal, except in the east end of London and the cultural legacy of the Olympics I see as being very small.
"They are not building sports centres in Tillicoultry. So the legacy is very limited and localised to London's east end. But that is just the way the Olympics works.
"There will always be a few who will get excited and turned into the next Chris Hoy, or choose athletics or some other sport as a way of life.
"However, you could equally say that they could do that if they go down to the park on a Sunday, see a good bloke playing football and think, I'm going to be a football player."
Shona Robison, Minister for Commonwealth Games and Sport, said: "There are a series of exciting events happening right across Scotland that we encourage people to take part in.
"The Olympic Torch Relay will spend eight days in Scotland, visiting every corner of our country. It will highlight to the world our breathtaking landscapes and warm and welcoming people, and we are working closely with VisitScotland to maximise this opportunity to increase tourism.
"Hosting Olympic football in Glasgow is a fantastic opportunity to promote Scotland to a global audience and gives Scots a chance to see some top-class teams."
Robison said around 500,000 people are also expected to take part in 250 events which are part of Scotland's London 2012 cultural programme.
"The 2012 Olympics provides an ideal opportunity to further raise Scotland's international profile as a cultural and creative nation during the Year of Creative Scotland," she added.
Eleanor Coner, information officer for the Scottish Parent Teacher Council, said she believed the excitement around the Games was slowly building up in schools, with some now holding Olympic-themed events.
She said: "Obviously it is not in Scotland but it is in Great Britain. I think whenever the Olympics happens there is some sort of excitement and I think people will get engaged with it eventually."
However, she added, she was not certain it would lead to an improvement in the health of the nation.
"In terms of a lasting sports legacy, in that we are all going to be super-fit, I am not entirely sure about that," she said.
"When you are thinking about sports you can't just expect one big event to change the whole way we look at things.
"It's going to be very exciting, but apart from that I am not sure about the lasting legacy up here."
'i've been overwhelmed by the response' – A sportsman's view
Scottish swimmer Craig Benson, 18, who is supported by sportscotland institute of sport, was one of the first athletes to be selected for Team GB. He qualified for the London Olympics after finishing 2nd in the 100m breaststroke at the British Championships in March, in a new Scottish record time.
He said: "I have been overwhelmed by the people's response to making Team GB for the Olympics, and everybody has come across as being excited about the Games, not only for me but for Great Britain.
"It is going to be a huge honour to compete for Great Britain and also as a Scottish athlete."
Athletics coach Tommy Boyle, who is programme manager at sports charity Winning Scotland Foundation, said it was important the Olympics was used as a "stepping stone" towards the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow in 2014.
"This should really be the spark that further fuels a flame towards Glasgow," he said. "The vital thing will be that the key influences in young people's lives – the teachers, coaches, parents, club leaders, local authorities and sports clubs – use these teachable moments that come up through the Olympics wisely,
"What motivates kids is that they see role models in the Olympics."
Boyle – who has coached top athletes including Yvonne Murray and Tom McKean – said Champions in Schools programme was an example of how to do this. Run by the Winning Scotland Foundation, it involves top athletes visiting classrooms regularly to inspire pupils.
He added that excitement around the Olympics was building, but pointed out there is likely to be a lag in Scotland as it is not at the centre of the activities.
"You tend to find with these type of things the hype comes on then parents and teachers and coaches start to get hooked," he said. "For kids, once it is on the telly then that is when they are out on the streets running, jumping, cycling or whatever it is."
