Hogmanay organisers blast Homecoming's 'missed opportunity'

Published on Friday 19 December 2008 20:47

ORGANISERS of Hogmanay celebrations across the country have condemned a decision to freeze New Year events out of the Year of Homecoming festivities.

EventScotland and VisitScotland have excluded Hogmanay events from the Homecoming banner and organisers seeking funding have been turned away.

Promoters and producers of celebrations say a "golden opportunity" to kick-start the Homecoming festivities has been missed.

They believe the thousands of people who will visit Scotland for Hogmanay could have been tempted to return for the 2009 Homecoming if it had been linked to the New Year celebrations.

The Homecoming festivities, which are organised by the Scottish Government, VisitScotland and EventScotland, run officially from Burns Night on 25 January to St Andrew's Night, so next year's Hogmanay bashes will also miss out.

Neil Mackay, organiser of Oban's Hogmanay celebrations, which will feature the Red Hot Chilli Pipers and Skerryvore, said: "A boat has been missed by the Homecoming organisers. Hogmanay is the biggest event in Scotland and a worldwide celebration. That it has not been included is a big mistake."

Michael Dale, producer of Stirling's Hogmanay party, which Deacon Blue are headlining, said: "Somebody, somewhere has made a wrong decision, which has turned out to be a huge missed opportunity.

"No Hogmanay events got Homecoming funding because they weren't considered part of the Year of Homecoming."

David Steel, organiser of The Loony Dook New Year's Day dip in the Forth at South Queensferry, said he had proposed his event being one of the first for the Year of Homecoming, but was turned down for funding.

A spokesman for EventScotland said the Burns Night and St Andrew's Day festivities would give "strong iconic bookends" to the Homecoming celebrations.

A Holyrood spokesman said the Homecoming – to celebrate 250 years since Robert Burns's birth – would be "heralded" at Hogmanay celebrations.