Scotland of the 21st Century
While the ScottishPower Tunes of Glory parade was the highlight and climax of Tartan Week, the aim was also to present a showcase of what Scotland represents and offers the visitor today. The stereotypical image of tartan, bagpipes, whisky and shortbread is seen by many as outmoded and which may not attract the younger American to visit Scotland.
Distilled - Live Scotland in New York was a three day arts festival, offering a taste of contemporary rock, jazz and Celtic music, comedy and cabaret, DJ club nights and a selection of our leading writers, novelists and poets. More than 3,000 young New Yorkers made their way to the Boylan Studios in the Chelsea district of downtown Manhattan for a series of cabaret variety shows featuring such hot talent of today including Tommy Smith, the superb young jazz saxophonist, the Mull Historical Society, a chart topping rock band, Rhona Cameron, the sassy comedienne and Arnold Brown, who wowed the crowd with his Scottish Jewish humour.
With so many exciting theatre, film, music and book festivals across Scotland from summer to Hogmanay, the Distilled performances gave people a lively taste of what `s on offer all year round and were a perfect opportunity to encourage people to come to Scotland and enjoy a great night out.
Postcards were handed out to everyone who came along saying invitingly:
"You've sampled a wee bit of Scotland - now experience the real McCoy".
Film It In Scotland
American film, TV and advertising companies were also being wooed to "come to Scotland". A mini film festival screening the newest Scottish film, "Strictly Sinatra" to the classic "Whisky Galore" (known as "Tight Little Island" in North America) as well as seminars and discussions were arranged to inform the American film industry of the great locations and opportunities for filming against the beautiful backdrop of the Scottish landscape.
Home and Away
The essence and heart of Tartan Day is of course to celebrate and recognise the great ancestral bond between Scotland and the United States. An exhibition, Home and Away, Highland Departures and Returns has just opened on Ellis Island which documents the story of the many hundreds of thousands of Scots who arrived here during the 19th century. Many had fled from the Highland Clearances, others to seek adventure or find work opportunities. The Ellis Island museum is the former Immigration Centre in New York harbour where millions arrived as refugees from the United Kingdom, Ireland and across Eastern Europe
The exhibition features census forms, registers, photographs and a typical travelling trunk, a kist, used by the immigrant families, into which they had to bring their entire belongings - a bible, sewing kit, jewellery and small sentimental objects to remind them of the home they had left behind.
Today with home computers and the vast information network through the Internet, it is much easier to try and trace a family history. Websites such as AncestralScotland.com and Scottish Origins help you begin the research with excellent advice on place names, surnames and parish records with a click of a button.
The Scots travelled to America for the opportunity of work and a new life. They rarely looked back nostalgically and were regarded as the invisible immigrants. Traditional customs such as bagpipes and Burns Suppers were celebrated privately at home. It is only in the past twenty years or so that there has been a renewed interest in celebrating their ancestry and retracing their roots to the Homeland. It is estimated that today around 20% of American visitors to Scotland make a journey in order to visit towns, islands and regions associated hundreds of years ago with their family.
This Home and Away exhibition which continues until June may encourage more American Scots to delve into their past and persuade them to visit Scotland and the birthplace of their great-great-grandparents. As one visitor from Delaware commented,
"I love being able to find information about Scotland. While I am now an American my soul belongs to my native country."Painting Manhattan Tartan
Scotland really did come to town during the first week of April this year. Sightseeing buses were painted in red and yellow tartan, the Empire State Building lit up the night sky in the colours of the Saltire and 45 miles of kilt paraded up the Avenue of the Americas.
The Distilled arts festival, the Tunes of Glory march and a glittering Pipes and Drums charity ball at the Waldorf Astoria combined to present a true reflection of what Scotland is today, both proud of its traditional heritage and culture as well as a forward-looking cosmopolitan European country.
With a strong contingent from the Scottish Executive, Scottish Parliament and Visit Scotland, Tartan Day offered the opportunity to promote Scotland across the broader perspective.
"Tartan Day was a magnificent day and has put Scotland firmly on the map", said First Minister, Jack McConnell. "The creation of a Scottish Parliament will assist us to make a contribution on the international stage for progress in business, commerce and the arts. We are very ambitious for both Scotland and the USA."
Tartan Day was covered not just by the Scottish newspapers and television but by the world media - CNN, The Washington Post, Reuters, BBC News, Newsday, Canada Newswire, and the Times of India.
Perhaps we can now catch up with the Irish who have long promoted and celebrated their national culture across America each year on St. Patrick's Day. Apparently everyone wears something green and even bagels are baked in Celtic colours that day. According to my friend on Central Park, Sue Flanagan, a New Yorker of Scottish and Irish ancestry, the St. Patrick's Day parade was not nearly as exciting as the Tunes of Glory march on Tartan Day.
Whether next year bagels will be coloured tartan remains to be seen, but certainly Tartan Day on April 6th is definitely on the American calendar as a significant day to celebrate all things Scottish.
For everyone who participated or witnessed the events of Tartan Week in New York, the spirit of Scotland will surely haunt their minds and hearts over the next year, and perhaps many more Americans - with or without a tint of Scottish blood - will wish to visit and experience Scotland for themselves.
Contacts, Links and Acknowledgements
- There is a Scottish Power Tunes of Glory Web site and a Scotsman Tunes of Glory Web site (both companies were major sponsors). The Scottish Executive has a Tartan Day site.
- There is a list of Tartan Day Events in other parts of the world (though mainly North America).
- The illustrations in this feature are from official sources, Ken Scott and Graeme Smith/. The latter Web site has a description of the event with scores (I lost count) of pictures taken on the way. He has put thumbnails of his pictures on a series of Web pages and is offering to supply larger versions for personal and private use in exchange for a contribution to one of the event charities.
- Vivien Devlin was a guest of Starwood Hotels Worldwide which kindly arranged accommodation at Essex House, Central Park and the new W Hotel, Times Square. Assistance was also appreciated from Aer Lingus during the flight from Edinburgh via Dublin to New York.
- VisitScotland can provide information if you are planning a visit to Scotland. And, of course, this Rampant Scotland site has a vast amount of information about Scotland and Scottish Culture - see the site map below!
