Tartan Week gets under way in North America

STV
Tartan Week: Scottish fashion goes on show in New York

A celebration of all things Scottish is taking place across the Atlantic as this year's Tartan Week gets under way.

The annual festival of Celtic culture in New York is now in its ninth year and for the first time, Tartan Day will be recognised in Canada.

Scottish Parliament Deputy Presiding Officer Alasdair Morgan will represent the Scottish Parliament during the week-long celebrations, going to both the US and Canada.

In Albany he will meet Majority Leader Ron Canestrari of the New York State Assembly and in New York he will visit officials from the United Nations Democracy Fund to discuss the international engagement work of the Scottish Parliament.

He will also visit the Canadian parliament in Ottawa, and meet the Canadian Speaker of the House of Commons as well as meeting Canadian parliament interns who visited the Scottish Parliament last month as part of an exchange experience.

Scotland's national dress will be showcased at the popular Dressed to Kilt fashion event hosted by Sir Sean Connery's Friends of Scotland charity on Tuesday.

The programme, now known officially as Scotland Week, will end next Saturday with the annual Tartan Day parade along 6th Avenue.

Mr Morgan said: "Scotland Week provides an opportunity for our Parliament to engage directly with the public and parliamentarians in North America and to add value to a wider package of events which promote Scotland in the USA and Canada.

"It is also appropriate that our visit to Canada will take place on the day in which Tartan Day is celebrated for the first time across all of Canada.

"I am delighted to represent Scotland's Parliament in North America this year."

Tartan Day, a celebration of the contribution of American-Scots to US culture and life, has been celebrated since 1998. Over the years it has been expanded into a week-long programme of events promoting Scotland in North America.

The Scottish Parliament's budget for all aspects of Scotland Week 2011 has been set at £10,000.

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