Robert Currie, Commander of Clan Currie

Robert Currie, Commander of Clan Currie, received an honorary doctorate from Edinburgh Napier University on Thursday. The doctorate of arts was awarded for his tireless efforts in promoting and preserving Scottish heritage worldwide.

Currie, who is also President of the Clan Currie Society of New York, is an international figurehead in promoting Scottish culture, education and events including the 2013 MacMhuirich Symposium held in Nova Scotia, and the annual Pipes of Christmas concert held in New York City.

Also awarded an honorary doctorate was Sir Jackie Stewart OBE – known as ‘The Flying Scotsman’. Sir Jackie won the F1 Grand Prix 27 times, was Formula 1 world champion three times and is a leading advocate for motor racing safety.

Professor Andrea Nolan, principal and vice-chancellor of the university, said: “We’re really proud to see our students graduating alongside these accomplished individuals. Their drive, passion and integrity is admirable and a true inspiration to our students.”

The MacMhuirichs, a name later anglicized to ‘Currie’ and in some parts of Scotland as ‘Macpherson’, ‘Murray’ and even ‘MacMillan’, served for over 700 years as professional poets to the Lords of the Isles, and later to the MacDonalds of Clanranald. The Red Book of Clanranald, one of Gaelic Scotland’s literary treasures, was penned by successive generations of the MacMhuirich bards on South Uist.

The Clan Currie Society was originally formed in Glasgow 1959 to further the knowledge and appreciation of the MacMhuirich bardic dynasty. Today, the society plays an active role in preserving and promoting their highland heritage at Scottish Games, ethnic festivals, as well as community groups and classrooms. The Society has also sponsored a number of highly successful concerts featuring Scottish music and Gaelic poetry and has been a leading sponsor and coordinator of National Tartan Day events in the United States.

Commissioned to mark the 10th Anniversary of Tartan Day on Ellis Island in New York in 2011, the Society launched the Ellis Island Tartan as a tribute to those who passed through Ellis Island on their way to a new life in the United States of America. The society also runs an impressive scholarship programme, with scholarships available for those studying piping, Clasarch and Gaelic.

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Tartan Day Parade, New York City

With Tartan Day just around the corner, we’ve put together a selection of global events celebrating Scotland’s contribution to the world. This year’s festivities range from a Ceilidh in Cuba, to historical reenactments in Buenos Aires and Whisky tasting in the Netherlands.

Celebrated on April 6, Tartan Day falls on the anniversary of the signing of the 1320 Declaration of Arbroath. The declaration sought to assert Scotland’s right to self-govern and to lift the church’s excommunication of Robert the Bruce. Signed by fifty-one magnates and nobles, the declaration was written in Arbroath Abbey by Bernard Linton, Abbot of Arbroath Abbey and Chancellor of Scotland. It was addressed to Pope John XXII who supported England’s Edward II’s claim to the throne in Scotland. The declaration explained how the Bruce had delivered Scotland from Edward I’s unjust atrocities, and that Scottish independence was the prerogative of the Scottish people, rather than the king of Scots.

As well as shaping Scottish national identity, the Arbroath Declaration’s ideas about kingship, independence and the rights of the people is said to have formed the basis of the American Declaration of Independence. The rich contribution Scots have made to America was recognised in 2005 with the House of Representatives declaring April 6 National Tartan Day. A Presidential Proclamation for the national day was issued by George W. Bush on April 4 2008.

Scotland:

• Arbroath – Friday March 29 – April 7
  A ten day programme of events that includes a commemoration of the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath, an international golf competition and talks by geneaologists and historians. www.tartandayscotland.com

United States:

• New York City – Tartan Week April 3-9
  Not satisfied with just one day, New York celebrates with an entire week dedicated to all things Scotland. The main event is the parade with over a thousand pipers and drummers marching along Sixth Avenue on April 6. Other events include The Caledonia Collective, Macbeth on Broadway and the 10K Scotland Run. www.tartanweek.com
• Dallas, Texas – Tartan Day Ceilidh April 7
  An annual free event held by the Scottish Society of Dallas. Features the North Texas Caledonian Pipes and Drums, Seamus Stout, Highland Dancing and educational displays. www.scottishindallas.org
• Los Angeles, California – April 6
  The Tartan Day Dinner will be held at the historic Tam O’Shanter Inn and will feature music by Peter Romano of The Ploughboys and piping by Cindi McIntosh. www.saintandrewsla.org

Canada:

• Halifax, Novia Scotia – April 5
  The birthplace of ‘Tartan Day’ celebrations, the Halifax festivities will include stories about Prince Charlie, dancing, poetry and a four-course dinner. www.scotsns.ca
• Ottawa, Ontario – April 7
  A day of heritage, piping, song, dance, and drums will be celebrated in Ottawa with the Sons of Scotland Pipe Band performing. www.sospb.com

Australia and New Zealand:
Tartan Day celebrations in the Oceania region are held on July 1, the anniversary of the Repeal Proclamation of 1782 annulling the Act of Proscription of 1747, which had made wearing tartan an offense punishable with up to seven years’ transportation. Events in 2013 are currently being planned in Adelaide, Brisbane and Auckland.

Rest of the World:

• Havana, Cuba – April 6
  A Ceilidh will take place in Havana at Las Estacaiones Pub, with fiddlers Chrissy Crowley and Anna Ludlow hosting and open session of Scottish and Cape Breton tunes alongside Celtic duo Sean Am. www.facebook.com/CelticMusicSessionsInHavanaCuba
• Buenos Aires, Argentina – April 7
  Argentinians will celebrate Tartan Day with a Celtic and Nordic Fair, pipe bands, a reenactment of the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath and a parade along Mayo Avenue.
• Rotterdam, Netherlands – April 7
  Events in Rotterdam will include a tartan fashion show, Whisky tasting and highland dancing. www.theworldofscotland.nl
• Fish Hoek, South Africa – April 8
  The Tartan Day Dance features an open evening of dance presented by the Fish Hoek Scottish Country Dance Club. www.scd.za.net

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