Edinburgh Castle and other iconic buildings and landmarks the length and breadth of Scotland have come together in a spectacular way to mark St Andrew’s Day today, as they all turned blue tonight to mark Scotland’s national day.
This Scotland-wide light up project brings to a close the largest ever programme of St Andrew’s Day events, offers and activities, which saw over 400 venues offering discounted or free entry in the run up to the day and Historic Environment Scotland giving away thousands of free tickets to a selection of the best known heritage sites.
Cabinet Secretary for Culture, Europe and External Affairs, Fiona Hyslop, said: “Scotland’s national day is a great opportunity for everyone in Scotland to come together to celebrate our rich culture and heritage. I’m delighted that a host of our most prominent attractions, the length and breadth of the country, have chosen to mark St Andrew’s Day in this unique way.”
Eleven major St Andrew’s Day public events were also held in a variety of locations, all part of the Scottish Government’s Winter Festivals programme which has been provided with a record £390,000 of funding to support 21 key cultural events in 15 local authority areas across the country in 2015/16, covering St Andrew’s Day, Christmas, Hogmanay and Burns.
More information on the Scotland’s Winter Festivals programme, which lasts through to Burns Night on January 25, is available online at www.scotland.org
Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
