Sir Sean Connery to attend Tartan Day festival in New York after all

SNP leader John Swinney will meet Sean Connery twice next week on Tartan Day in the US, reports the Daily Record.

Details of the meetings emerged after newspapers revealed Connery snubbed Jack McConnell by refusing to meet him.

The actor, who has now refused to meet the First Minister three times, won`t be part of McConnell`s plans for selling Scotland abroad because none of former First Minister Henry McLeish`s plans to make him an ambassador have gone ahead.

One Nat insider said: `It`s clear Sean will do anything for his country as long as that means he doesn`t have to have anything to do with Jack McConnell.`

The central event is Dressed To Kilt, a glittering fashion show in its second year and hosted by Sir Sean Connery’s Friends of Scotland organisation at Sotheby’s. There are also traditional music concerts, a parade with 3,000 pipes and drums, a ceilidh, a lecture on the New Scotland, an exhibition promoting Scottish products in Central Park and a 10km kilted fun run. VisitScotland is spending $250,000 (£135,000) on events over six days; the Scottish Executive is contributing £200,000. Four London-style cabs are being decked out in tartan and 150,000 flyers will be handed out in Manhattan. It’s a significant effort but there are many who believe we could be doing much more.

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