Saltire celebration returns for second year

A PATRIOTIC celebration of Scottish culture is being held next month in East Lothian, the birthplace of the country's national flag.

The highlight of the second annual Saltire 2010 festival will see the flag descend from the skies at Athelstanefod courtesy of an army parachute team before being taken on horseback to St Mary's Kirk in Haddington which will be a centrepiece of cultural celebration of music, literature and a torchlight procession.

Tradition has that in 832AD near Athelstaneford, an army of Picts and Scots, confronted by a larger force of Northumbrians, was inspired to victory when a Saltire or St Andrew's Cross appeared as a cloud formation against a blue sky.

To mark the military triumph the Saltire was adopted as Scotland's national flag.

Celebrations will be run from November 26-28, with a special Saltire 2010 raceday at Musselburgh Racecourse on the opening day.

A St Andrew's Day service will be held at Athelstaneford Church on the Sunday followed by a torchlight procession with massed pipe bands from East Lothian and Aubigny in France.

The festival is being run by East Lothian Council and Event Scotland.

Councillor Stuart MacKinnon, the council's economic development spokesman, said: "This year we have expanded the Saltire programme to offer more choice."