As well playing a significant role in shaping Scottish history, the declaration’s confirmation of kingship, independence and the rights of the people is said to have formed the basis of the American Declaration of Independence. Today the day is celebrated with a variety of different events hosted by various clan and Scots heritage societies. Here’s a quick round up of snaps from this years celebrations:

Super Selfie from New York Tartan Day Parade
Simon Fraser University (B.C.) Pipe Band drum major Jason Paguio led the Tunes of Glory band at Saturday’s New York Tartan Day Parade and decided to snap a photo as the parade wound its way through Manhattan. “I was hoping I wouldn’t get into trouble,” Paguio said with a chuckle. You can view a news report form the New York festivities here.

McGregors, McAlisters and McIntyres in attendance in WA
About 75 people gathered on the steps of the Legislative Building in Olympia, Washington State on Sunday. The event featured bagpipe music, a reading of a National Tartan Day resolution and a group performance of “Scotland the Brave”.

Thousands celebrate Celtic heritage at Tartan Day South
The fourth annual Tartan Day South Highland Games was held at the Celtic Festival in Cayce, Columbia on Saturday. Thousands flowed in for this year’s event, part of the four-day Tartan Day festivities that also featured a movie night Thursday and concert Friday at West Columbia’s Riverwalk Amphitheater. The festivities concluded Sunday with the Kirkin of the Tartans, a worship service.

Weekend of events in Arbroath kick off Tartan Day Scotland Festival
A weekend of special events marking the heritage and culture of Angus attracted crowds of people to Arbroath. A re-enactment of the signing of the Declaration of Arbroath by the medieval nobles of Scotland took place within the walls of Arbroath Abbey for the first time in several years. You can view a video here.

Minneapolis Mayor Hodges honored for Scottish roots
Minneapolis Mayor Betsy Hodges was Guest of Honor Saturday at Saturday’s Tartan Day event, which recognizes Scottish history and culture. She wore a sash of her clan’s Modern Red Morrison tartan for the event, held at the state Capitol. In a Facebook post, Hodges said she has lots of Scottish blood:

I was so touched to be the honored guest at Minnesota Tartan Day. I have Scottish heritage from both sides of my family, Clan Morrison on my father Morrison Hodges’ side and Clan Nicholson on my mother Aj Hodges’ side. I think I first knew I was Scottish when the bagpipers played Amazing Grace at my grandfather’s funeral. The second time was when I went to Scotland and for the first time in my Minnesota-raised life I was around a bunch of people who kinda sorta looked like me.

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Scaled models of Falkirk’s Kelpies at their temporary home in NYC

Scaled models of Falkirk’s impressive Kelpie statues have embarked on their first overseas tour, just in time for upcoming Scottish celebrations in North America. Unveiled last week at New York City’s Bryant Park, the mini statues are on tour to promote Scotland Week and Tartan Day celebrations to be held in North America in April. In Celtic folklore Kelpies were supernatural water horses that possessed the strength and power of 10 horses. The two 15-foot-high steel models, which are one tenth the size of the original Kelpies were inspired by Clydesdale Horses, that for centuries, pulled boats and cargo along the towpaths of the Forth & Clyde and Union Canals in Scotland. The statues borrow the mythical name to refer the long horse-powered industrial heritage of Scotland.

The original Kelpie Statues in Falkirk, Scotland

Known as maquettes or the ‘little brothers’ to the enormous 30 metre high originals, the installation is one of very few major public art exhibitions to be permitted in the park situated just a few blocks from the Empire State building and Times Square. The original statues sit in the heart of the new 900-acre Helix Parkland in Falkirk, which is set for completion in April. The sculptures are made from hundreds of small pieces of steel plate painstakingly welded to create the forms. The Kelpies herald the arrival of Scotland Week in April which comprises a diverse programme of Scottish-inspired events and activities that showcase the very best of Scottish culture.

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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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Ellice McDonald Jr, CBE.

t is with great sadness that we announce the death of Ellice McDonald, Jr., CBE, a central figure and past High Commissioner of Clan Donald USA. McDonald spent a lifetime involved in the clan society and received many awards and honours for his work, including the title of CBE. He was also chiefly involved in the establishment of the Clan Donald World Centre on Skye. He died peacefully at his home Invergarry in Delaware on 10 June 2013. He was 100 years old.

Born in New York City on 22 May 1913, McDonald was the son of Canadian physician Dr. Ellice McDonald and portrait artist Ann Heebner McDonald. He was the grandson of Archibald McDonald of Glencoe, who was the last of the chief factors of the Hudson Bay Company. McDonald received a Bachelor of Arts degree from Strathmore College, and in January 1941 he volunteered for United States Army, serving as a commissioned officer in the Pacific Theatre.

McDonald was appointed High Commissioner of Clan Donald USA in July 1976, serving in that capacity until 1983. During this time he spent a great deal of energy and money reinvigorating and reorganising the society. He incorporated Clan Donald-USA, Inc. and divided the country into 13 regions, appointing regional and state commissioners. The magazine, “By Sea By Land,” was published and regional and state newsletters were distributed. Today, CDUSA is thriving and has more than 4,000 families. An authoritative history of the clan was published by Donald J. McDonald in 1978, with much of the books success owing to Ellice, who ensured that every Clan Donald association had a copy.

McDonald also established the Glencoe Foundation as a private charitable foundation which made contributions to Scottish organisations such as the National Trust for Scotland, the Royal Caledonian Schools in Bushey and the Clan Donald Lands Trust on Skye. Macdonald became a trustee of the latter in 1970 and he, alongside his wife Rosa, took a great interest in helping out this organisation which still exists today.

Soon after becoming commissioner McDonald also established the Clan Donald Foundation, dedicated to promoting the customs, traditions and heritage of the Scottish people. The foundation became the foremost Clan organization in the United States with several thousand members and approximately 95 commissioners in every State including Alaska and Hawaii. On 13 December 1995, Queen Elizabeth II conferred on McDonald the title of Commander of the Most Excellent Order of the British Empire (CBE). On 18 June 1992, a similar honour was bestowed upon his wife, Rosa. They are the only husband and wife in the North American Continent to have received this honour. McDonald was the guest of honor of the Grandfather Mountain Highland Games in Linville, North Carolina. It is believed he is the first American to have been so honored.

2002 saw the opening of the newly built ‘Museum of the Isles’ at the Clan Donald Lands Trust on Skye. It hosts extensive archives and valuable artefacts, with the bulk of the funding coming from the Glencoe Foundation Inc. – backed by Ellice and Rosa McDonald. In 2004 McDonald was awarded the Tartan Day Award, which acknowledged his outstanding services to Scotland. In making the announcement, Robert Murdoch, national chairman of Tartan Day said: “I was extremely pleased to hear that the selection committee for the second annual Tartan Day Award has determined the recipient will be Ellice McDonald, Jr., CBE. Tartan Day as we celebrate it is now eight years old, but Ellice McDonald, through his creation and support of the Clan Donald Centre on Skye, has been upholding Scottish traditions for years… His tireless activities in that regard have benefited Scots and Scottish-Americans worldwide.”

Ellice first met his wife, Rosa (deceased), in 1930 when he was sixteen, and they married in 1954. They shared a lifelong passion for cats and dogs and they adopted countless numbers of strays and rescue pets who happily shared their animal “bed and breakfast” with the occasional pure bred German Shepherd or Golden Retriever. In 1978, McDonald also established and became president of the Gurkha Welfare Trust Foundation (U.S.A.) which cooperated closely with the Canadian Gurkha Appeal.

His family want to express their gratitude to the staff and nurses who took such good care of Ellice in his final years. The interment will be private. The family suggests gifts to Faithful Friends Animal Society, 12 Germay Drive, Wilmington, DE 19804. A guestbook can be signed by clicking here.

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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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