We’re flying the Scottish Saltire at the High Commission today for St Andrew’s Day, as we do with the flags of the other nations that comprise the rich tapestry of the United Kingdom on their national days.
Around Australia my colleagues are attending various events hosted by local Scottish societies at this time. Last week our Consul General in Melbourne – which has particularly strong Scottish connections in its history – participated in the grand annual dinner of the Melbourne Scots. I was the guest speaker there a couple of years ago: a wonderful event with hundreds of guests resplendent in their kilts. Last month when I was down in Melbourne I gave the Graduation Address at Scotch College, one of its most famous schools – a Scots Presbyterian foundation.
Many Australians are proud of their Scottish heritage. Around 130,000 residents were born in Scotland and 1.8m (about 9% of the population) claim Scottish ancestry. I blogged in June about attending the annual dinner of the Scottish Parliamentary group which contains a healthy balance from all sides of politics.
My UK Trade & Investment team support businesses from all around Britain. Australia has been building massive oil and gas infrastructure in the last few years, and this is one of the areas that Scotland is particularly strong in. So when you visit companies or attend trade shows in this sector you regularly hear many Scottish accents around you.