Saint Andrew's Day marked in style across the Capital

Published on Monday 1 December 2008 09:06

THOUSANDS of revellers braved the winter chill over the weekend to celebrate St Andrew's Day at a host of special events across the Capital.

The heart of the festivities was West Princes Street Gardens where a giant tented arena had been erected to welcome guests.

Hibs players Lewis Stevenson and Yves Ma-Kalambay yesterday brought along the Homecoming Cup to show off to excited youngsters.

Edinburgh Rugby second row Matt Mustchin was another sporting star in attendance as he offered coaching to youngsters outside the St Andrew's DO pavilion.

On Saturday evening, the pavilion featured a performance by Scottish singer Sandi Thom, as well as The Dykeenies and Salsa Celtica.

The show followed the Happy March during the afternoon when hundreds of children waved Saltires as they walked from the Hub Cafe to the pavilion.

Large crowds also took advantage of free entry at Edinburgh Zoo yesterday, although the special offer contributed to long tailbacks around Corstorphine as traffic built up during the day.

Meanwhile, First Minister Alex Salmond hosted a St Andrew's Day reception in Edinburgh Castle last night, to mark the publication of a new book celebrating the influence of poet Robert Burns.

The book of images and insights, Touched By Burns, compiled by Andy Hall, includes contributions from Seamus Heaney, Sir Alex Ferguson, Midge Ure and Brian Cox.

Joanne Krukowski, spokeswoman for the St Andrew DO events, said the weekend had been a "great success".

She added: "It was wonderful to see lots of children running about and having fun. The face painting was very popular so we had kids running about with their faces painted blue and white with Saltires.

"It was a real family weekend and that was what we hoped for.

"The rugby coaching was popular too and the children were excited to see the cup which the Hibs players brought along."

The St Andrew's DO – which attracted up to 15,000 people over the weekend – was split into four zones of activities, including storytelling, games and ceilidh dancing for youngsters and dance and urban theatre workshops for teenagers.

Children were able to create their own Saltires at an arts workshop while magician Tricky Ricky put on a show.

The Capital's nativity scene was also unveiled at the floral clock at the foot of the Mound yesterday during an afternoon of carol singing to raise funds for charity.

Edinburgh's Christmas Nativity Carol Concert gave visitors the chance to join in and sing well-known festive favourites, led by the Exile Gospel Choir.

Children from Cramond Primary School joined the choir, while Origin Scotland raised funds to support their work with HIV and AIDS orphans.

Councillor Steve Cardownie, festivals and events champion for the council, said: "This event always spreads a warm glow across the city, and it is a great opportunity to remind us all of the true meaning of Christmas."

Speaking at the Burns book reception, First Minister Alex Salmond said: "St Andrew's Day is the time to celebrate our talents and Touched By Robert Burns is a testament not only to the work of our national Bard, but also to the breadth of achievements of modern Scots. Across a range of sectors Scots are continuing to influence the world around us."

A video message from Manchester United manager Sir Alex Ferguson, who wrote the foreword for the book, was played at the event.