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Homecoming Scotland 2009 facts for kids

Kids Encyclopedia Facts
Robert burns
Homecoming celebrates the 250th anniversary of Robert Burns
Bridge over the Swilken burn
The Old Course at St Andrews - golf is one of five themes of Homecoming
Humetomb
Tomb of David Hume, a major figure of the Scottish Enlightenment
Glenfiddich Distillery stills
Stills at Glenfiddich - whisky is another theme
Enter The Haggis Bagpipe
Enter the Haggis combine rock music and Highland bagpipes

Homecoming Scotland 2009 was a special year-long celebration in Scotland. It was created to invite people from all over the world who have Scottish ancestry (meaning their family originally came from Scotland) to visit the country. The idea was that for every person living in Scotland, there are about five more people living elsewhere who have Scottish roots!

This big event was organized by groups like EventScotland and VisitScotland, working with the Scottish Government. The year 2009 was chosen because it was the 250th birthday of Robert Burns, Scotland's famous national poet. Besides events about Robert Burns, there were four other main themes for the Homecoming: Scotland's culture and history, amazing Scottish thinkers and new ideas, golf, and whisky.

Celebrating Scotland: A Year of Fun

The Homecoming Scotland 2009 celebration officially began on January 25, 2009, which is Burns Night. It continued all the way until November 30, 2009, known as St Andrew's Day.

Kicking Off the Homecoming

On June 16, 2008, the First Minister of Scotland, Alex Salmond, officially launched the Homecoming at Edinburgh Castle. This marked the start of planning for the exciting year ahead.

Clan Convention: A Family Gathering

On July 24, 2009, a special meeting called the Clan Convention took place inside the Scottish Parliament. This meeting brought together the leaders and representatives of different Scottish clans (which are like big family groups). They met to talk about the role of clans in today's world.

The Gathering 2009: A Big Party

The main event of the year was The Gathering 2009, held on July 25 and 26. It took place in Holyrood Park in Edinburgh. This huge clan gathering included traditional highland games over two days. There was also a parade marching up the Royal Mile and a special 'clan pageant' show on the castle esplanade. Prince Charles, who is also known as the Duke of Rothesay in Scotland, was the main supporter for The Gathering 2009.

Many Events to Enjoy

The Homecoming included a long list of events. Many of these were already popular annual events that joined the Homecoming celebrations. Here are some of them:

The Homecoming Scottish Cup

In October 2008, it was announced that the Scottish Cup, a famous football competition, would be renamed The Homecoming Scottish Cup for the 2008/09 season. A businessman from Glasgow, Willie Haughey, made a deal to sponsor the cup. This meant the Scottish Government could use the cup's name to promote the Homecoming. The cup got a new name again for the 2009/10 competition.

See also

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