Seven Days of Tartan Celebrations

Angus is gearing up to another memorable week of celebrations to mark Tartan Day, which takes place on April 6, the date of the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath. Following a sneak preview of the programme of local Tartan Day events being held from April 3 until April 10, it appears that the 2010 Tartan Day Angus festivities will be a fabulous mixture of much-loved and brand new events, with a few of the old favourites being given a fresh twist.

One of the many new events taking place during the Tartan Day celebrations will be a fashion show, when a stunning collection of quality outdoor clothing, the latest fashions, fabulous shoes and eye-catching accessories will be on show on the catwalk. Another new event will be the Open Day at Angus Archives, which will provide opportunities for people from across the county and beyond to find out more about their Angus ancestors, while JM Barrie will be one of the Kirriemarians of days gone by who will feature in the Orraman Guided Walks, when a local historian will lead tours around the Angus town where the creator of Peter Pan was born 150 years ago.

As the scene of the Signing of the Declaration of Arbroath, Arbroath Abbey is the focus for much of the Tartan Day celebrations. This year, the ever-popular re-enactment of the Signing of the Declaration will take a different format, with the event taking place on the evening of April 6 and starting with a torchlight procession from the Fit O’ The Toon to Arbroath Abbey by Robert The Bruce, his court and several historical hangers-on! After the Declaration has been signed at the main gate of the abbey by Scotland’s noblemen of almost 700 years ago, a concert will be held – A Celebration of Scotland – at nearby St Andrews Church.

There are several events which are now an institution of the Tartan Day Angus celebrations and once more feature in the programme of events, including the Angus Farmers Markets, the Tartan Shop Window Competitions, the Tartan Day Business Lunch and, of course, the glittering Tartan Day Gala Dinner, when guests from all over the world will gather at Carnoustie Golf Hotel to celebrate Scotland’s achievements.

In addition, the annual Speaking of Scotland debating evening will take place in Forfar’s Council Chambers, while the Tartan Day Ceilidh will once again ensure that the Lions Head Function Suite in Arbroath is the place to be on April 9. Another hot ticket will be to ‘The Kilt is Our Delight’ at Montrose Town Hall, when the Gordon School of Dance will entertain the audience with a mix of Scotland’s traditional and modern music, song and dance.

Information about events taking place during Tartan Day Angus 2010 can be found at www.scotlandstartanday.com. The full programme of events will be be published at the beginning of March 2010.