A small team of six volunteers is preparing for the inaugural Edinburgh Tartan Parade which takes place one month from today.
Rehearsals have been carried out along the city centre route and the final touches to arrangements for the big day are now in the process of being made.
The first Edinburgh Tartan Parade on 10 May will begin at the City Chambers, processing down the Royal Mile to Cockburn Street, onto Waverley Bridge and then into Princes Street Gardens. Some 1,600 people have now registered for the event and registrations are now closed (although there is a waiting list just in case of any cancellations).
The date was chosen to be the second Saturday in May – World Fair Trade Day – and the founder of Edinburgh Tartan Parade, Tania Pramschufer of Hand Up Events, has a real connection with all things Fair Trade. She runs the market on Castle Street under Hand Up Events which she describes as a social enterprise company. She registered a tartan design for World Fair Trade some years ago and has promoted the clan by taking part in the New York City Tartan Day Parade wearing the distinctive blue and green design.
Louise Marshall, piper to the Lord Provost of Edinburgh and members of Pulse of the Place youth band will lead the parade wearing the tartan.
Ceilidh
After the parade with 1,600 people signed up to take part, there will be a three hour long ceilidh in Princes Street Gardens for the parade participants and marshals and everyone who is involved. Dancing will be led by Edinburgh-based ceilidh band, Whisky Kiss, who have become regulars at the New York event, although they are omitting it from their calendar this year.
The all-women organising team is keen that members of the public then come along in the evening to Usher Hall where there will be a concert, featuring the Red Hot Chili Pipers and also bagpiper, Craig Weir.
Tartan Parade Scotland will bring together tartans, pipe bands, dancers, musicians, organisations and individuals from Edinburgh and beyond to celebrate the country’s rich heritage, tartans, culture and inclusivity.
The inspiration for the Tartan Parade Scotland stems from the successful NYC Tartan Day Parade and the ongoing collaboration between Tartan Parade Scotland and Kyle Dawson, President of the NYC Tartan Day Parade.
Mr Dawson said: “I’m delighted to confirm that I will be attending the Edinburgh Tartan Parade on May 10th. It will be an honor to celebrate this fantastic event and see firsthand the incredible work that Tania and her team have done to bring the spirit of Tartan Day to Edinburgh.
“As President of the National Tartan Day New York Committee, organizers of NYC Tartan Week, I am thrilled to witness the expansion of this celebration of Scottish heritage. The energy, camaraderie, and pride that define our own parade, will undoubtedly be mirrored in Edinburgh, creating an unforgettable experience for all participants. Tania and her team have done a phenomenal job in fostering this celebration, and their dedication is evident in the enthusiasm surrounding the event.”
Camilla Hellman, President of the American Scottish Foundation, which is also a part of the New York City Tartan Day Parade, and in particular the events at Bryant Park held ahead of the parade, said: “The American Scottish Foundation is also going to be marching – we are excited to support the inaugural Edinburgh Tartan Parade – we are galvanizing our contingent!
“Just as there is nothing like marching in the New York Tartan Day Parade up Sixth Avenue past Radio City, it will be such a unique experience to march through the historic streets of Edinburgh as the city celebrates the culmination of its 900th Anniversary with the Edinburgh Tartan Parade. Tania Pramschufer is a master organizer, and cannot wait to join everyone marching along the cobbled streets on May 10th.”
The route for the Tartan Parade Scotland 2025 will commence with its journey from the iconic Royal Mile, weaving its way down Cockburn Street, proceeding to Waverley Bridge, and finishing at the picturesque Mound Precinct. Attendees can expect a display of clan tartans, as well as lively performances by pipe bands and highland dancers, organisations and individuals all coming together to honour Scotland’s legacy.
The Tartan Parade Scotland aims to “celebrate Scottish culture, foster community engagement, and commemorate Edinburgh’s significant 900th anniversary as a city”. The event’s vision is to unite people in the appreciation of the beauty of tartan, from Scotland and all around the world.
A trailer event was held at The Mound in 2024
The official launch by @lezleymarion of the Edinburgh Tartan Parade was a lively affair… pic.twitter.com/y0hFR60T9p
— Edinburgh Reporter (@EdinReporter) May 11, 2024
Parade Participants who have signed up so far include:
Tartan Parade Scotland
Dancercize with Anne
Crofthead Farm Community Centre
Scotpipe
Clan ARMSTRONG
Bay City Rollers Fan Community
Cheryl Heggie School of Dance
Clan Chest Heart & Stroke Scotland
College of Master Kilt Tailors
ScotlandShop
Official Alan Longmuir – Proud Son Of Edinburgh Tartan
Promotional Warehouse
Universal fans of the bay city rollers
Accrington Pipe Band
Delting & Nesting Jarl squads
Pulse of the Place
Lindsay School of Dancing
FAIR CITY BATON TWIRLERS
Discovery Dance
European highland dancer
Color Guard of the St. Andrews Society of Washington D.C.
CLAN LAMONT SOCIETY
Dunfermline & District (RBL Scot) Pipes and drums
Burntisland & District Pipe Band
Brenda Ronnie School Of Highland Dance
James Gillespie’s High School Pipe Band
Autism Tartan
Scouts Scotland Pipe Band
Combined Banchory and Robert Gordon’s College Pipe Bands
HERALDRY SOCIETY OF SCOTLAND
Banff Castle Pipeband
Grassmarket Tartans
Caithness Youth Pipe Band
History Matters Ltd
Samaritans Scotland
The Force, Display Team of Champion Drum Majors
Clackmannanshire Pipe Band
New York Caledonian Club
The Society of William Wallace
Clan McKay Drummers
Official Bay City Rollers
Scottish Arts Club
Hawick Scout Pipe Band
Grassmarket Tartans
Association of Hackney Carriage Drivers
SAPD. Pipe Band.
Pentland Caledonia Pipe Band
Tartan Creations by Yvonne Macrae
Clan MacLennan Scotland Association
American Scottish Foundation
Balerno & District Schools Pipe Band
Tynecastle Youth Community Pipe Band
Eagles Pipe Band
Moodiesburn and District Pipe Band
Association of Chinese Entrepreneurs in Scotland
Sarah Henry School of Dance
Stockbridge Pipe Band
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