Vibrant events held across the country to mark St Andrew's Day

Published on Sunday 29 November 2009 22:44

THE curtain comes down on Scotland's Homecoming celebrations today – St Andrew's Day – following a weekend of events across the country.

First Minister Alex Salmond reopened Burns Cottage yesterday following a 1 million restoration, which included transforming the old Burns Museum into an "education pavilion" and landscaping the surrounding area.

Speaking about the success of the Scotland's Year of Homecoming, Mr Salmond hailed the initiative, which was aimed at encouraging people to visit to Scotland, as a "great success story".

He added: "Since its launch on Burns Night, it has truly captured the imagination of people throughout the country and across the globe."

Meanwhile, St Andrew's Day will today be marked at the Scottish Parliament with the Homecoming St Andrew's Day Debating Championship. Pupils from Scottish schools will join students from universities across Scotland and compete to win the coveted debating prize.

This afternoon, the sound of Burns will fill the Parliament's Garden Lobby as the ten finalists of The Burnsong Song Contest play a showcase concert hosted by the Presiding Officer, MSP Alex Fergusson. "The Big Gig" will present the finalists performing their winning songs to an audience of MSPs, representatives from the music industry and the public. The concert will be presented by BBC Radio Scotland's Iain Anderson.

In Glasgow, the Homecoming celebrations took on a musical tone with more than 6,000 fans coming together to enjoy Homecoming Live – The Final Fling, in Glasgow's SECC on Saturday night, as well as a weekend of free music and dance in George Square.

Celebrations in Edinburgh included a parade of brightly painted vehicles being pushed, pedalled and driven from the Royal Mile to St Andrews Square Gardens on Saturday, as part of the Homecoming Finale Weekend.

The Scottish National Gallery of Modern Art marked Homecoming by unveiling a major new work by Scottish artist Martin Boyce.

Falkirk's Hippodrome, Scotland's first purpose-built cinema, showed films with a distinctly Scottish flavour including I Know Where I'm Going and Gregory's Girl.

There was also live music, exhibitions and an outdoor fire and music festival in Bo'ness.

East Renfrewshire staged a four-day St Andrew's Day festival – a musical ensemble involving Scottish bands, a ceilidh, family fun day with storytelling and a winter festival.

Dundee laid on a fireworks display and music against a backdrop of street art, performances and storytelling on Saturday night, while Stirling hosted a range of events including a unique fashion show called To See The Sky.

East Lothian, birthplace of the national flag in AD832, started its celebrations with the Golden Lions' army parachute team arriving in the village of Athelstaneford with the Saltire yesterday morning.

A procession of horseriders carried the flag to St Mary's Kirk, Haddington, for a candlelight ceremony followed by a torchlight procession to Haddington's ancient High Street for a party around the Mercat Cross. The day's events ended with an evening concert.