Scottish Government Invites North Americans To Celebrate Scotland Week By Sharing Scottish Selfies

Images to be Used to Create World's Largest Online Scottish Flag on Tartan Day, April 6

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Mar 24, 2016, 10:57 ET

NEW YORK, March 24, 2016 /PRNewswire/ -- Scots and those who love all things Scottish can show their pride this Scotland Week, April 2 through 9, by sharing a "Scotland Selfie" wearing their favorite Scottish attire. From plaid kilts to tartan scarves, painted faces and even Viking helmets, all outfits and ages are welcome to participate. The images will be used to create the world's largest online Saltire, which is the Scottish flag, and displayed on Tartan Day, a national holiday in North America takes place on April 6.

The 13th annual Scotland Run will be held on April 2,2016. (Photo by Diane Bondareff/Invision for Scottish Government/AP Images)

This year, most of the Scotland Week festivities occur in New York City and include the 13^th Annual Scotland Run on April 2 and 18^th Annual Tartan Day Parade on April 9. The Scotland Selfie campaign allows people around North America to join in the festivities and show their Scottish pride.

Jamie Hepburn, the Scottish Government's Minister for Sport, Health Improvement and Mental Health, said, "The Scotland Run in Central Park has welcomed over 100,000 runners over the years, often wearing Scottish dress or with painted faces to celebrate their Scottish heritage. This year we're asking people to upload their 'Scottish selfie,' giving Scots and Scots at heart across North America the opportunity to celebrate Tartan Day and join in the fun."

"Scotland is famed for its wild, open spaces and ancient architecture – we hope to welcome some of New York's running community to our shores to take part in some of the runs we offer, where we have something to suit all abilities. A selection of the runs Scotland offers can be found at www.scotland.org/run. One thing's for certain, they would be guaranteed a very warm welcome."

Those wishing to submit a photo can upload it to http://www.scotland.org/whats-on/scotland-week/scotweekselfie or share it on Twitter and Instagram via @AboutScotland using the #Scotweek tag, starting today, Monday, March 21 through Sunday, April 3, 2016. The photos will then be assembled to create the world's largest online Saltire and displayed on Scotland Government's social sites on National Tartan Day. Designated a national holiday in 1998 by the U.S. Senate, National Tartan Day is a celebration of all things Scottish and the contributions of millions of Scottish Americans.

About Scotland Week - #ScotWeek:

Every year in the USA and Canada, thousands of people come together to celebrate Scotland Week, the annual celebration of all things Scottish
Scotland Week 2016 runs from Saturday, April 2 – Saturday, April 9^th and includes Tartan Day on April 6
Scotland Week 2016 comprises business, cultural, tourism and media engagements for Sottish Government Ministers, business leaders, and key industry stakeholders
Scotland Week celebrates the best of Scottish culture. This year's highlight events are:
- Scotland Week Run – On April 2^nd, nearly 10,000 runners will participate in the 13^th annual 10k run through Central Park, along with hundreds of youth runners ages 7-17, who will partake in a 1.7 mile run;
- 18^th Annual Tartan Day Parade – Grand Marshal Sam Heughan, of Outlander fame, will lead Scots and honorary Scots in a colorful procession on the Avenue of the Americas on Saturday, April 9.