Homecoming 2009

2009 marks the 250th anniversary of the birth of our national poet and cultural icon Robert Burns, who is the inspiration behind our year long celebration of some of Scotland's great contributions to the world: Golf, Whisky, Great Scottish Minds and Innovations, Burns himself and Scotland’s rich culture and heritage.

2009 is an exceptional year to visit Scotland.  

A programme of inspirational events will run throughout 2009, complementing the vast range of world-class attractions already offered in Scotland. From the world's biggest ever Clan Gathering in Edinburgh to the Burns-inspired Celtic Connections in Glasgow and from The Open Championship at Turnberry to the Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival, there's something special for everyone.  

Commencing with the celebrations of Burns' 250th Anniversary in January and running through to St Andrew’s Day, the events programme has been created by the Homecoming Scotland team. The team has worked closely with events owners and organisers, local authorities, arts, culture and sport organisations and corporate Scotland.  

As a result of this unique partnership approach there are more than one hundred directly funded events taking place as part of the year, and a further two hundred or so relevant partner events linking with the year’s themes included in the programme.  

A full list of events is available on the Homecoming website.  

Homecoming Scotland 2009 is a Scottish Government initiative being managed by EventScotland in partnership with VisitScotland.  

This year long celebration of Scotland will attract visitors from around the world, particularly from countries with large Scots diaspora populations, such as Canada, the USA, Australia and New Zealand and other parts of the UK.  

However, the celebrations are not only for people with links to Scotland; they are for anyone who simply loves Scotland.