Angus Robertson, Cabinet Secretary for the Constitution, External Affairs and Culture, is travelling to Washington DC and New York this week.
He will take part in the New York City Tartan Day Parade which this year takes place on Tartan Day itself – 6 April.
The main purpose of the trip is to promote Scotland as a place to live, work, study or do business.
The list of engagements includes meetings with tech companies who are already investing or who plan to invest in Scotland, a meeting with the World Bank to discuss Scotland’s funding for education projects in Africa, a showcase staged by Scottish Development International of Scottish food and drink, a discussion hosted by the New York Genealogical & Biographical Society of their new research around slavery (supported by the Scottish Connections Fund), cultural events at the Tartan Day Tattoo in Washington DC, the Tartan Day Observance in Bryant Park on Friday, the Kirkin’ o’ the Tartan at the Brick Church on the Upper East Side and the parade up Sixth Avenue on Saturday led by Grand Marshal Dougray Scott.
Last year the Cabinet Secretary launched The Scottish Connections Framework during Tartan Week to expand links between Scotland and Scots living elsewhere, those with Scottish heritage, people who have lived in Scotland and those with any links whether professional or cultural to Scotland. Scottish sports to the US were worth £5.14 billion in 2021. The USA is the top export market for whisky valued at just under £1 billion in 2023. And 655 US owned businesses in Scotland employ 114,220 people and have a turnover of more than £35.5 billion.
The Scottish Government said then it has long believed that “better engaging our diaspora – family and friends of Scotland globally – can not only benefit Scotland economically and enrich our culture but also improve Scotland’s connections and reputation”. Read the Scottish Connections Framework below.
Mr Robertson said: “Tartan Week is an opportunity to celebrate the Scotland’s historic ties with North America, which flourish to this day through cultural exchange, trade, investment and tourism.
“The US is Scotland’s most important international trading partner, as our largest export destination and source of inward investment, and our third biggest market for non-EU international students, with over 6,300 US students choosing to study here in 2021/22. I want to encourage greater connections, and greater trade and investment between our countries, which is why I’m meeting a range of existing and potential investors during my time in the US.
“As a showcase of Scottish culture and heritage in the US, Tartan Week is also a major opportunity for our culture and creative sectors to reach new audiences and markets, in line with our recently published international culture strategy, and our Scottish Connections Framework, which aims to strengthen Scotland’s links with our diaspora throughout the world.”
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Founding Editor of The Edinburgh Reporter.
Edinburgh-born multimedia journalist and iPhoneographer.
