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Homecoming Scotland 2018 Launch - 30th November 2017
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The First Minister has visited New York’s Caledonian Club in order to launch Homecoming Scotland 2018 during their St Andrew’s Day Celebration, the relevant press release can be found here.

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The First Minister of Scotland has travelled to New York’s Caledonian Club on St Andrew’s Day in order to officially launch the 2018 Homecoming Scotland celebrations. A series of events will take place across the country over the forthcoming 12 months designed to improve the visiting experience of members of the Scottish diaspora while connect other members of the diaspora with their ancestral homeland. Also tied into this shall be the various national and international sporting events taking throughout Scotland during 2018.

The festivities shall be officially launched with a unique and historic Burns Night, taking place in Ayr so close to the National Bard’s homeplace. Symbolising how Scottish poetry has changed throughout the age’s pieces from all eras, right up to that of our current Makar, as well as Scots overseas shall be celebrated. A historic Burns Night because for the first time the Scottish Diaspora shall be represented in a national celebration. This takes place right in the middle of Glasgow’s annual celebration of Celtic music, Celtic Connections, and despite music travelling from all over the Celtic world this will also be a centrepiece of the opening month of Scottish celebration. This event in the Dear Green Place is celebrating it’s 25th anniversary and promises to be the best yet.

Furthermore, the Government shall ensure that throughout the closing months of this winter, events celebrating Ayrshire’s favourite son shall be held internationally. From Beijing to Baltimore these events will be targeted in cities with significant Scottish diaspora but will still be useful in expanding our culture into new regions and homes, fostering an appreciation for Scotland and our people right across the planet.

A Clan Convention and Gathering are a central part of any homecoming year. Cordially, the chiefs of all Scottish Clans have been invited to Holyrood for an event during the summer recess discussing how Clans and the Diaspora can be more involved in the future of Scottish politics. It should however be noted that a minority of Clans traditionally do not get involved in such communal events, nevertheless it is only right that they are invited. For all Clan Members and the general public a Clan Gathering, the largest Highland Games the World has ever seen, shall take place in Holyrood Park in the shadow of the Parliament the following day. In 2009 this was an extraordinary event and we can all be sure that next year it will be even better and it is crucial to note that you will not have to be a member of a clan to participate - we are a country open to all.

Scotland is fortunately privileged to have long been scheduled to host several world sporting events throughout summer 2018. This includes the world famous Open Championship Golf, which shall return to Scotland at Carnoustie in Angus before heading to Northern Ireland for the first time in over half a century the following year. Additionally, Glasgow shall play host to the inaugural European Championships jointly with the German capital, Berlin with 8 sports available for viewing in Scotland. This shall allow a distinctly Scottish identity to be placed on an event with no history, a blank canvass. Just as the Commonwealth Games in Glasgow a few years ago was a transformative event, this too will offer some of the best sporting action of next summer, even if North Americans won’t be able to join in with the events.

Scotland is among the last vestiges of the Celtic Languages and our Royal National Mòd celebrates Scottish Gaelic every year. In 2018 the event travels to Dunoon, on the Kintyre Peninsula for the first time since 2012. This shall incorporate a delegation to Cape Breton in Nova Scotia to celebrate the continued use of our native tongue here in the new world. The Edinburgh Festivals shall also take place in August and are a magnet for performers in all of the arts from all over the world, Scotland celebrating the world rather than the other way about. Furthermore Pipe Bands are a crucial aspect of the culture of Scotland as I’m sure almost everyone knows worldwide. However at Glasgow’s annual World Championships many teams from across the world, from Tennessee to Thailand participating and ultimately triumphing, highlighting the global appeal of Scottish Musics. Therefore it is our plan for some of the planet's finest pipers to go on tour right across North America, in an attempt to bring our culture closer to our diasporas in Canada and the United States.

Scotland and Ireland alongside participating in some of the most popular sports globally are are incredibly proud of our own native sports. This can be most clearly seen in the annual Shinty-Hurling Internationals which shall also support efforts to engage with interested visitors from all four corners of the globe. Whilst not solely Scottish this is still an incredibly important event here in this part of Europe, and noting the dual heritage of many in the Scottish diaspora we believe that this should be included in the festivities.

It is also important that visitors develop a tangible connection to their history in Scotland. This cause shall be advanced by specialist genealogy centres being set up at major tourist attractions, such as the Bannockburn Centre or Loch Ness in an attempt to engage visitors with their past during their time in our country. The National Records of Scotland, alongside pointing visitors to the appropriate authority to find out more about their past, such as the Scottish Register of Tartans shall conduct visits to areas overseas were it is known there is large diaspora communities in attempts to raise engagement with historical migration.

It would be an understatement to say that the Scottish Government and our nation’s people are extremely excited to welcome the world to our wee country over the forthcoming year. This will add to what has already been a remarkable decade in Scotland’s history, opening new possibilities for those living in Aberdeen and Adelaide alike.

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