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Homecoming Scotland (2009)

image by Darrell Neuman, 2 October 2009

About the flag

About the flag

At Carter Bar, on the border between England and Scotland, I took this photo below of the Homecoming Scotland 2009 flag. On the Internet, there is a short description about the raising of this flag: http://www.scotborders.gov.uk/news/26041.html.

Raising the Flag for Homecoming
Monday, May 11 2009

The traditional May Bank Holiday raising of the Saltire and Northumberland flag at the Scotland - England Border was extra special this year. Local band Scocha joined the event at the A68 Carter Bar crossing and raised a Homecoming Scotland 2009 flag to mark Scotland’s year of Homecoming. The new flag joined the traditionally raised Saltire, raised by Scottish Borders Councillor Jim Brown, and the Northumberland flag, raised by Colin Blacklock from Gateshead. And as the flags were raised, Scocha treated tourists, visitors and dignitaries to some of their hits.

The Homecoming Scotland 2009 flag will fly at the Carter Bar crossing alongside information towers promoting the Scottish Borders Common Ridings & Festivals as part of Return to the Ridings and Homecoming Scotland 2009. Return to the Ridings features prominently on the towers, which will be seen by nearly 20,000 people per day at the A1 and A68 Border crossings. They include dramatic images from the launch of Return to the Ridings with the principles from the eleven Scottish Borders towns participating in the Homecoming Scotland 2009 initiative.

Councillor Jim Brown said: “The May Bank Holiday flag raising has become a tradition of celebrating the links between the Scottish Borders and Northern England. This year the Saltire and Northumberland flags were joined by the hoisting of the Homecoming Scotland 2009 flag as we promote the Scottish Borders Homecoming Scotland programme to those crossing the Border.” Kate Pearson, Homecoming co-ordinator, added: “Homecoming Scotland 2009 is a huge opportunity for businesses and companies within the Scottish Borders. The hoisting of the Homecoming Scotland Flag at Carter Bar aims to raise the profile of the Scottish Borders Homecoming Scotland events programme to potential visitors from Northern England.”

The three sides of the information towers each feature part of Homecoming Scotland in the Scottish Borders:

Return to the Ridings
In The Footsteps of the Reivers, The Clan Scott Gathering and the Back to the Borders Campaign
Events from the Scottish Borders which fit with the main Homecoming Scotland themes (Home of Burns, Scotland as the Home of Whisky, Golf, the Scottish Enlightenment and Innovation, and the Home of our Ancestors).

Notes
In 2009 Scotland will host its first Homecoming year, designed to mark the 250th anniversary of Scotland's national poet, the international cultural icon, Robert Burns. From the weekend around Burns Night in January to St Andrew's Day in November a countrywide programme of exciting and inspirational Homecoming events and activities will celebrate some of Scotland's great contributions to the world: Burns himself, Whisky, Golf, Great Scottish Minds and Innovations and our rich ancestral culture and heritage which lives on at home and through our global family. Homecoming Scotland 2009 is a Scottish Government initiative managed by EventScotland in partnership with VisitScotland. Homecoming Scotland 2009 seeks to motivate people of Scottish descent, as well as those who simply love Scotland, to come home and join us in a national celebration of our culture, heritage and the many great contributions Scotland has given the world: homecomingscotland2009. The event is in line with the Scottish Borders Tourism Action Plan and the Scottish Borders Council Events Strategy – bringing internationally recognised events to the Scottish Borders.

Darrell Neuman, 2 October 2009