2009 Tartan Day takes place on Sunday 2 August 09 with a pipe band marching down Union Street. Concerts, live comedy events and markets will take place throughout the day at areas like Union Street and Union Terrace Gardens. Key events include the Gordon Highlanders International Beating Retreat and entertainment by top Scottish musicians Aly Bain and Phil Cunningham.

Tartan Day Events

There will be various events throughout the day to celebrate Scottish and Aberdonian culture, history, foods, crafts and exports. This includes

Parade of tartan wearing pipe bands down Union Street, Aberdeen
Street entertainment on Union Street
Entertainers and family day in the Union Terrace Gardens which will include magicians, face painters, clowns and a range of family games.
Exhibit at the Town House
Scottish Country Market in Belmont Street with local food and drink produce and crafts
Tours of St Nicholas Church and Graveyard
Historical re-enactments at Provost Skene's House and The Tolbooth.

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2008 Tartan Day

The 2008 Tartan Day will take place on Saturday 2 August. Once more Aberdeen City will come alive with the sounds of pipes and drums and tartan displays. This includes re-enactments and traditional Scottish music. Special walks will take Aberdonians and visitors around the City. Ten bands of the Royal Scottish Pipe Band Association (RSPBA) will march from Albyn Place to the Castlegate at noon. The pipe and drum parade will then take the salute from the Lord Provost of Aberdeen, Mr Peter Stephen, at the Town House. Then a Pageant Parade will take place with celebrity guests, Aberdeenshire dignitaries and performers from the Aberdeen International Youth Festival.

There will be an afternoon concert at Union Terrace gardens which will not only include music but entertainment such as comedy and talks. This event will be opened by Steve Robertson of Scotland the What?

St Nicholas Church is offering free tours during the 2008 Tartan Day and the Kirkyard will host traditional Scottish music performances.

The Tolbooth Museum on Union Street will enact the trial of 16th century cut throat Harry Domingo Moir who robbed travellers to Aberdeen. These Tolbooth re-enactments take place at 11am, noon, 2pm and 3pm.

2007 Tartan Day

The 2007 Tartan Day will take place on Saturday 5 August. The start of the festival will be marked with a pipe band parade down Union Street in Aberdeen City centre at noon.

Special events for 2007 in addition to those listed below include a battle re-enactment at the Castlegate which includes a Royal visit enactment.

Joyce Falconer from BBC River City will return to her native Aberdeen to take part in events at Tartan Day at the Terrace. Others act will include performances by Trybe and traditional Scottish music from Aberdeen Strathspey and Reel Society and Albannach. The Crann Tara group will perform a re-enactment. Events at Tartan Day at the Terrace will take place between 1:30 and 3:30 pm.

2006 Tartan Day

The 2006 Tartan Day took place on Saturday August 5. There was a mock re-enactment of the coronation of Robert the Bruce at the Castlegate and guided walks from The Green to St Nicholas Kirk. There was a Doric tent with Joyce Falconer where she celebrated the written and spoken Doric dialect at St Nicholas Kirkyard from 1 - 3pm.
Tartan Day Events In St Nicholas Bon Accord Centre Aberdeen

A truly Scottish shopping experience awaits shoppers in the Bon Accord St Nicholas shopping centre on Saturday 5 August 2006 as the centre gets into the swing to mark Aberdeen's third annual Tartan Day. A celebration of all things Scottish, the line up will see shoppers entertained by a range of treats from musical performances to whisky tasting, as they go about their Saturday afternoon retail therapy.

The bandstand of the St. Nicholas Centre will be brought to life with a programme of events from 1pm till 3.30pm, including performances from Aberdeen Strathspey and Reel, PLAID and Paul Anderson, while inside the Bon Accord Centre, shoppers can indulge in whisky tasting courtesy of Glen Garioch Distillery, and treat themselves to sampling some of Scotland's finest fancies at an award-winning home bakes stand, from Dalgatie Castle in Turriff.
As if that wasn't enough there will also be some top Tartan totty on display, as the shopping centre's security staff take to the tartan and don their kilts in true patriotic style.

"I am very pleased that the Lord Provost came up with the idea of Tartan Day, which gives us the perfect excuse to treat our shoppers to a uniquely Scottish retail experience," says centre manager Frank Sutherland. " I hope that both locals and visitors appreciate the opportunity to celebrate the best of Scotland's culture and heritage within a shopping environment, with the various events and performances on offer in the centre."

The Lord Provost of Aberdeen, John Reynolds, set up this annual event. He has invited some top Scot's to the event and it is hoped that one may open the event. This includes Sean Connery, Billy Connolly and Ewan McGregor. Lord Provost and guests will open the festivities at 11am.

New York City in America also holds a Tartan Day in 2006 this will be on April 5 to coincide with the anniversary of the Treaty of Arbroath.

The History Of Tartan Day

The first Aberdeen, Scotland Tartan Day took place in 2004. The 2005 event was on Saturday 6 August.

More Aberdeenshire Events.