IN A world where social media confers instant celebrity upon nonentities for the most banal and prosaic reasons, it was a privilege last night to be at Glasgow's Kelvingrove to witness the most worthy induction of five iconic sportsmen and women into the Scottish Sport Hall of Fame.

Cyclist Sir Chris Hoy, who retired a year after deposing Sir Steven Redgrave as Britain's most prolific Olympic title-winner in London 2012, is one of Britain's most decorated sport personalities. Yet when he joined rugby coach Sir Ian McGeechan, double Olympic sailing champion Shirley Robertson, multiple Paralympic swimming gold medallist Kenny Cairns, and Commonwealth shooting champion Shirley McIntosh in the latest intake, he was: "overwhelmed". A sentiment expressed by all five. Given they have all been honoured at Buckingham Palace, that's quite an admission.

In his typical self-effacing style, Hoy said the honour was: "not just for me. It’s for all of the people who have supported me along the way, allowed me to focus on my cycling and be the athlete I always wanted to be. Thank you all.

"To see my name on a list of some of Scotland’s most inspirational sporting stars, many of them my childhood heroes, I am overwhelmed.

"I rewind the clock as a kid growing up, watching champions in any sport. I was sport obsessed. Now my name is going to be alongside all these amazing sports people for eternity."

At the 2008 Beijing Olympics, Hoy responded in boys-comic-hero fashion after the kilometre sprint in which he had won his first Olympic title, had been removed from the track programme. He took on three new events, and, undefeated in 16 races, won all three. In doing so he became the first British competitor in a century to win three Olympic titles.

Henry Taylor learned to swim in a Lancashire canal, and won his three golds at the 1908 London Olympics. The acme of high tech for Taylor was his hand-woven silk swimming costume. It weighed an ounce. When he swam in a pool it was on a "dirty water day" because access was cheaper. There was no lottery support then, and he died in penury, in 1951.

Hoy acknowledges he could not have achieved what he did without Lottery support, and his marketability in the professional sports should ensure he does not suffer Taylor's fate.

Contrast the incredible support and facilities Hoy had. "I'd spend hours in a wind tunnel, to find the optimum riding position, wearing a body suit in which even a tiny crinkle could cost fractions," he said.

"The Lottery subsistence grant when I left uni came at just the right time for me. I went from being a student to full-time professional athlete. Any later, and I'd have been in a job and probably reluctant to give up a decent career."

In his previous existence, Hoy says he could have told months before, what he'd be doing at any given minute: "probably even down to what size of gear I would be riding in training on a given day.

"Now I live out of a suitcase. Get to bed, get up early, catch a flight. There are a lot of road miles and air miles. I was in Portugal this week for just 14 hours, then back to the UK. Life is tough, still very competitive."

He is in huge demand. "I have even been approached by Darcy Bussell, to do 'Strictly'. I never say never, but that's one thing you won't see me do, with my two left feet."

Ian McGeechan is the 12th rugby player to be inducted (football has 16), though his inclusion surely owes at least as much to his coaching ability as his 32 Scotland appearances and 30 for the Lions. He was the Lions' head coach on four Tours and was Scotland's head coach when they won their last Grand Slam, in 1990.

Now he is back at his childhood roots, in Yorkshire. "I am working with Yorkshire Rugby two days a week, trying to help them back into the Premiership, and setting up the kind of programme that helped bring me through all those years ago."

He is bullish about Scotland's future. "Tactically, techically, they are in very good shape."

Kenny Cairns was confined to a wheelchair after a spinal injury as a result of a motorbike accident at the age of 16 "being a daft laddie". He won four Paralympic golds in 1984 and 13 medals in five Paralympics; claimed seven world titles among 16 medals in successive World Championships from 1990 to 2006; and 12 golds among 21 European Championship medals in 20 years to 2001. The Port Glasgow Otters swimmer set world records at 100 and 200 metres freestyle, the last at 47.

He is also a virtuoso harmonica player, with recordings to his name and says he would never have done either, but for the accident.

Shirley Robertson was the first British woman to win Olympic gold at consecutive games, in 2000 and 2004. Her first came in the single-handed Europe dingy after she had maxed out her credit card during earlier Olympic campaigns. She switched to the Yingling and her crew, dubbed three blondes in a boat, won in Athens with a race to spare. A mum of twins, she is a broadcaster with CNN.

Shirley McIntosh was the first Scottish woman to win Commonwealth shooting gold and the second to win four Commonwealth medals (gold and silver in '94, and two bronze in '98). She was practising dry-firing in the hall of their Edinburgh home when her youngest child slept. Daughter Jennifer has has now surpassed mum's record, with five. The family has evolved into a shooting dynasty. Jenn's sister, Seonaid, has joined her in the GB team of which their father, Donald, is head coach. And Jenn has won Britain an Olympic quota place for Rio.

If she makes it, that will be a step further than mum.

On an inspirational evening, the nation's youth was given plenty to aim at.