Homecoming Scotland 2014 - Homecoming Scotland 2014 blog

Wednesday, 26 November 2008

THE SCOTLAND NEW ZEALAND CONNECTION 26th NOVEMBER 2008.

THE SCOTLAND NEW ZEALAND CONNECTION IS ALIVE AND KICKING.
Do More To Celebrate St Andrew’s Day

St Andrew’s Day holds particular significance for kiwis this year in the run up to Homecoming Scotland 2009 and Scotland is encouraging everyone to “DO more” to celebrate their national day and the New Zealand/Scottish connection.

Scottish Culture Minister Linda Fabiani announced an ambitious programme of events planned in cities and towns across the country with the flagship event, the St Andrew’s DO, taking place right in the heart of Scotland’s capital city, Edinburgh

Edinburgh’s West Princes Street Gardens will host the St Andrew’s DO, with a range of free entertainment activities over the entire St Andrew’s Day weekend (29-30 November). St Andrew’s Day also marks the start of Edinburgh’s Winter Festival programme and provides a taste of the celebrations to come over Hogmanay and Burns Night, leading into Homecoming Scotland in 2009. An exciting line-up of local events will run across the nation with full details on www.scotland.org/standrews

Culture Minister Linda Fabiani said:

“St Andrew’s Day is an opportunity for everyone at home, and our friends around the world, to celebrate Scotland – from our rich heritage to our vibrant modern culture.

“This year there is a great programme of events from our St Andrew’s DO in Edinburgh to the various ceilidh's and street parties taking place all around the country. In addition to all the wonderful events scheduled in Scotland, many of the millions of affinity Scots all over the world will be celebrating St Andrew’s Day, from the St Andrews Society of Toronto to the Scottish Australian Heritage Society in Sydney – this is a great platform in the run up to Homecoming next year.

“Building on the successful “Visit for Free” initiative from last year, the public will again be able to visit some of our top visitor attractions with castles, museums, gardens and abbeys from Orkney in the Northern Isles to Jedburgh in the Scottish Borders taking part on 30 November. St Andrew’s Day also kicks off the Winter Festival running through Hogmanay and culminating on Burns Night – it’s vital that we use our winter cultural calendar to showcase Scotland as a great year-round visitor destination.

“This year’s celebrations are particularly special because they will be the warm up to Homecoming 2009 – www.homecomingscotland.com. Marking the 250th anniversary of the birth of Scotland’s national poet, Robert Burns, Homecoming will pick up from St Andrew’s Day to celebrate Scotland’s great achievements and our ties of family and friendship around the world.

“I encourage all Scots everywhere and anyone with a connection to Scotland to do more this year - celebrate our national day and enjoy the inimitable culture of Scotland old and new.”

To book your trip from New Zealand to Scotland and celebrate Homecoming in style – or for information on flights and packages, please contact House of Travel 0800 838 747 or houseoftravel.co.nz
Story source;
Scoop Independent News
New Zealand.

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Homecoming Scotland 2014 - ALL ROADS LEAD TO HOME

ALL ROADS LEAD TO HOME First Minister, Alex Salmond celebrates Scotland at launch of ‘exceptional’ Homecoming 2014 programme An all-star concert to herald the opening of the Ryder Cup, a huge flotilla to celebrate the 50th anniversary of the Forth Road Bridge, Europe’s biggest brass band festival and a thrilling re-enactment of the Battle of Bannockburn are just some of the spectacular events that will form Scotland’s 2014 Year of Homecoming, it was announced today. Scotland’s First Minister Alex Salmond officially unveiled the first phase of the year-long programme of events at Hopetoun House, near South Queensferry, alongside Mike Cantlay, Chairman of VisitScotland. VisitScotland and EventScotland are working in partnership with the Scottish Government to deliver Homecoming 2014 - an opportunity for communities nationally and internationally to explore Scotland and celebrate the very best of Scottish culture. Around 100 events were unveiled at the launch, with hundreds more expected to be unveiled over the next few months. This includes many new events, established events which will have a new homecoming element for 2014 and those that have joined through the partner programme to benefit from in-kind marketing. The five themes for Homecoming 2014 - active, food and drink, creative, natural and ancestry are all represented. Brand new events include the John Muir Festival in East Lothian to herald the opening of the John Muir coast to coast route, the Forth Bridges Festival to mark its 50th anniversary, a spectacular Ryder Cup Opening Concert, the Findhorn Bay Arts Festival in Moray, the World Sheepdog Trials in Tain and the European Festival of Brass based in Perthshire. Many existing events, including Hogmanay, Edinburgh Festivals, the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, the Edinburgh Mela Festival, the Royal National MOD, the Turriff Show, the East Neuk Festival, the Outdoor Orkney Festival and Tweedlove Bike Festival will receive funding for new and exciting Homecoming additions to their planned programmes for 2014. With around 50 million people around the world claiming Scottish heritage, diaspora and clan-related events form a key part of Homecoming. These include around 30 events, including the celebrations to mark the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn, the Aboyne Highland Games, the Inverness Highland Meeting 2014, the 10th Clan Munro International Gathering, the Dunfermline Bruce Festival and Piping Live!. An events fund of £3m will provide a stunning all-year-round programme of activity to complement the Ryder Cup and Commonwealth Games and it will be backed by a £1.75m marketing campaign by VisitScotland which will promote Homecoming 2014 at home and abroad.

HOMECOMING SCOTLAND - VISIT SCOTLAND OFFICIAL ACCOMODATION TELEPHONE BOOKING NUMBERS.

Visit Scotland Contact Centre have set up two "Hotline", telephone numbers for booking accommodation for overseas visitors and U.K. based residents.
The Visit Scotland Contact Centre telephone numbers have been set-up especially for Homecoming Scotland 2009 overseas visitors and U.K. residents. These numbers are also for every day tourists to our beautiful Scotland wishing to find the best holiday accommodation guided by the Visit Scotland reputation.
The telephone numbers will inform the enquirer about all types of accommodation including costs, and can give general information on all aspects of anything Scottish.
Overseas visitors please telephone;
0044 1506 832121 which is a direct line.
U.K. residents please telephone local rate;
0845 2255121
http://www.visitscotland.com
For more general information to Homecoming Scotland events;
http://www.homecomingscotland2009blog.com/HOMECOMING_SCOTLAND_2009_EVENTS_PROGRAMME.htm
PLEASE NOTE THERE IS A TRAVEL PLANNER FOR LOCAL SCOTTISH TRANSPORT AT THE BOTTOM OF THE PAGE.