Inverness claim League 1 crown while East Kilbride make League 2 history in 2026

Inverness Caledonian Thistle won the Scottish League 1 title and East Kilbride secured promotion to League 2 after dominating their divisions.

Caley Thistle seals title

Inverness Caledonian Thistle claimed the Scottish League 1 championship with a 2-1 victory over Hamilton Academical on the final day. They finished two points ahead of Stenhousemuir despite a five-point deduction last season for entering administration. This win avenged their Championship play-off final defeat to Hamilton two seasons prior. The side had been relegated from the Championship after losing to Accies in that play-off.

East Kilbride makes history

East Kilbride secured a place in League 2 for the first time in their history by thrashing Clyde 5-0. They finished five points clear of Spartans, who drew 2-2 at Stirling Albion. The South Lanarkshire club will replace relegated Kelty Hearts in next season’s third tier. Their promotion follows their Lowland League title the previous campaign.

Hamilton face play-off battle

Hamilton Academical, deducted 21 points this season for breaching SPFL regulations, now face the play-offs to avoid a second straight relegation. Without the penalties, they would have been in the promotion play-off semi-final against Stenhousemuir. Accies finished two points behind East Fife and now meet Forfar Athletic in the semi-finals. Their final-day loss to Inverness left them in fourth place.

Stenhousemuir shifts focus

Stenhousemuir will compete in the promotion play-offs after Queen of the South defeated Alloa Athletic 4-1. The Dumfries side finished 13 points behind Inverness in third place. Alloa, who lost to Queen of the South, will face Airdrieonians in the play-offs. Airdrieonians finished second bottom in the Championship.

Spartans and Clyde in play-off clash

Spartans finished five points behind East Kilbride and will face Clyde in the semi-finals. Clyde rested several players in their 5-0 loss to East Kilbride, preparing for their own play-off campaign. Forfar Athletic finished fourth, three points clear of Stranraer, after drawing 1-1 away to Annan Athletic. They will play Hamilton in the semi-finals.

Edinburgh City and Brora await final

Edinburgh City beat second-bottom Dumbarton 5-0 to prepare for the Pyramid Play-off final against Highland League champions Brora Rangers. Brora received a bye to the final after Linlithgow Rose were excluded from the semi-final for lacking a valid Scottish FA licence. Linlithgow Rose were denied a place despite winning the Lowland League. The bottom side in League 2 will now face Brora to determine their future.