One of the best things about the job of British Ambassador is being able to celebrate not only the UK as a whole, but also individually Scotland, England, Wales and Northern Ireland. Today, as I look out of my window at the Saltire, the Scottish flag flying proudly alongside the Union Flag, I am full of memories of previous celebrations of Scotland. I organised my first St Andrew’s Day event at the British Residence in Tashkent, Uzbekistan, ten years ago today. Since then, there have been unforgettable Burns Nights in places like Almaty and Tbilisi – and, of course, many wonderful visits to Scotland itself.
Scotland offers so much – fantastic scenery and a rich history and culture which bring tourists back time and time again. First-class arts and sports venues, including for golf and other sports which the Scots invented. World-famous food and drink. And a centuries-old tradition of education, research and innovation which have driven Scotland’s impressive commercial development in fields from engineering to finance. The British Embassy in Berne works closely with Scottish companies and academics, Scottish Development International and UKTI to expand Scottish-Swiss trade, investment, and collaboration on science and innovation.
Scotland’s legacy reaches far beyond its borders. For example, you can find lovers of Scottish music all over the globe. I am one of them. As a young man working as a musician in the Pacific Northwest, I was even inspired to write an ersatz Scottish folk song which proved popular at concerts. I freely admit that it was more ersatz than Scottish, but perhaps my Liverpool Irish roots gave me a bit of a feel for Celtic musical traditions. In any event, I am still moved by Scottish musical excellence.
Switzerland turns out to be a good place for this. In July I attended the tenth Basel Tattoo, an exciting extravaganza which combines Swiss entertainment and organisation and Scottish culture and tradition. With a venue capacity of 120,000 and an even larger TV audience, it is the second largest Tattoo in the world behind Edinburgh. Attendees come from all over Europe – many of whom go on to Edinburgh. The Bands and dancers come from places as diverse as South Korea and New Zealand (and by the way the Swiss Bands are fantastic!
However, the highlights for me are invariably the artists from “the Source”. This year we saw the Pipes and Drums of the Royal Scots Borderers, the Aberdeen Universities Officers’ Training Pipes and Drums, the Band of the Household Cavalry, the Pipes and Drums of the 102 Battalion REME, the Scots Guard Association (Manchester) Pipes and Drums, the Ailsa Craig Highland Dancers – and the spectacular Imps Motorcycle Display Team! These talented people are great ambassadors for their country and help to showcase Scottish traditions and build goodwill in Switzerland and beyond.
I can’t wait until the next Tattoo in July. In the meantime, to all the musicians I met in Basel, all my Scottish friends around the world, and all the Scottish friends I have yet to meet – Happy St Andrew’s Day!