Sir Sean Connery set to attend Tartan Day festival in New York, Friday 2nd April

New York may have toasted its Irish links recently with the traditionally well-attended St Patrick’s Day parade, but the organisers behind the city’s Scottish celebrations have announced their most ambitious programme yet - and the big news is that one of Scotland`s most famous exports will be there to join in the celebrations.

According to organisers, the programme is longer, bigger and more varied in content than in the previous six years. Notable among the special guests will be Sir Sean Connery, the original James Bond who publicly supports Scottish Nationalism.



For five days next month, the Big Apple will be the centrepiece of the annual Tartan Day celebrations, with events ranging from a ceilidh, a parade down 6th Avenue, a kilted marathon through Central Park, a kilted fashion show and a cultural film and exhibition on Ellis Island.

In New York yesterday, event organisers expressed their optimism for 2004 being a good year for the Tartan Day celebrations, following the muted events last year.

Tartan Day began in 1998, after the Senate passed a resolution marking 6 April as a day to celebrate the contribution of Scottish-Americans to the United States. Last year’s event saw poor attendances because of adverse weather, the war in Iraq and Scottish parliamentary elections, but organisers are confident they can make up lost ground in 2004.



Organisers insisted the event was a great chance for Americans around the country to celebrate their Scottish links and educate those unaware of the shared historical ties.

Robert Currie, the president of the Clan Currie Society and chairman of New Jersey Tartan Day, said: "The overall aim is to get people to think about the importance of Scotland’s contribution to this country all year round, rather than for just a day or week.

"That is the advantage we have over the St Patrick’s Day celebrations. This year, we have five days of events from lectures and parades to fashion shows, so there is something for all.

"With those who drink Scotch and wear tartan, we are preaching to the choir. Our role is also to reach out to those people who may not be aware of the links between Scotland and America, so attracting schoolchildren to the exhibition we have on Ellis Island, for example, is important," he added.

"We have got over 200 years catching up to do on St Patrick’s Day and I am sure, as Tartan Day gets more established, it will attract even more people. Tartan Day is organised by a coalition of societies, but we are excited about the visit from the Scottish Executive, and people are looking forward to the event over here in New York."

Geoffrey Scott Carroll, the chairman of the Dressed to Kilt Fashion Show at Sotheby’s, said: "Having Sir Sean Connery and his wife coming to our show means everyone will want to be there. We’ve got a ton of first-rate Scots taking part, as well as New York’s finest. The show will be totally over the top."

Dr Christopher Pratt, the founder member of the National Tartan Day committee in New York, added: "Everyone is very upbeat about this year, but it’s important to point out that, despite being relatively new, Tartan Day is celebrated throughout America. The broad programme reflects the broadness of Scottish culture."

Lesley Hinds, the Lord Provost of Edinburgh, said that she was looking forward to attending the event.

She said: " For the first time ever, Edinburgh and Glasgow will have a strong joint presence in the celebrations.

"We’ve been delighted by the positive response from the US organisers, who have been very excited by the prospect of two lord provosts working together."

A spokesman for VisitScotland said the idea is to utilise the many iconic Scottish products such as tartan and whisky, as well as highlighting the country’s dynamism and forward-thinking.

The five days of celebrations for Tartan Day begin on Friday, 2 April, with the opening of a new art exhibition on the Jacobites and America on Ellis Island and an evening ceilidh at the New York Caledonian Club.

Saturday sees the main parade down 6th Avenue, which is expected to draw up to 1,200 pipers. Sunday sees a kilted 10km road race through Central Park. Mr McConnell is also to give an address at Columbia University on "The New Scotland; Attracting Fresh Talent".

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