Tartan Day Scotland 2010 Celebrations End with Fun Events in Carnoustie and Arbroath

Issued: 20 April 2010

The week of Tartan Day celebrations reached a highly-enjoyable finale with a selection of events showcasing Scotland's music, dancing and sportsmanship, as well as the resurrection of a much-loved but often-overlooked tradition – the knobbly knees competition!

Tartan Day Scotland 2010, which was sponsored by GlaxoSmithKline, highlights the best of Scotland and the Tartan Day Ceilidhs in Carnoustie, Arbroath and Forfar provided ample opportunities to dance and sing the night away to some of the area's top Scottish country dance bands. "Carnoustie Business Association's ceilidh in The Kinloch Arms was very good," said Kathleen Crowe of Carnoustie Business Association.

Saturday morning saw Carnoustie's Tartan Day celebrations continue with the Tartan Fun Morning, where Ben Robertson (4) from Kellas won the best dressed wellie competition and Chloe Cameron (8) successfully threw the potato closest to the wellie. Carnoustie & District Pipe Band provided musical entertainment, along an excellent display of Irish Dancing by Paula Mitchelson from Carnoustie, who was accompanied by Newbigging's Craig Weir on bagpipes.

Carnoustie High Street almost ground to a halt for the Tartan Day Knobbly Knees competition! The eight entrants enthusiastically rolled up their trousers to reveal their knees to the crowd and, following an arduous judging process, Margaret Murray of Murray Transport pronounced Dave Page from Letham as the owner of the knobbliest knees!

The Lovely Legs competition was next and, after considerable deliberation, judge and former councillor David Selfridge presented first prize to Paula Mitchelson from Carnoustie.

The next day, in glorious sunny weather, a band of Arbroath Yompers yomped from InchcapePark to Ethie Haven, raising £3500 for local organisations and charities in the process. At the other end of town, a group of runners made their way from Arbroath Sports Centre to Arbirlot and back again for the annual Tartan 10K, which was won by Ian Beattie (gents race) and Marion McComb (first lady).

The Tartan Day celebrations are an Angus Council tourism and community initiative. The Angus celebrations now extend to a week and this year ran from April 2 until April 10, with over 50 events taking place across the county. "Since Angus Council instigated Tartan Day Scotland six years ago, the celebrations have expanded considerably and there's now a fantastic choice of special Tartan Day events across Angus," said the Provost of Angus, Ruth Leslie Meville. "Here's to Tartan Day 2011!"

       

Entrants in Carnoustie's Knobbly Knees competition with Piper, Craig Weir.