With less than a week to go until Scots celebrate St Andrew’s Day on November 30, New Lanark World Heritage Site are preparing to light up the iconic Mill Buildings and Falls of Clyde blue to celebrate Scotland’s national feast day.
The stunning 230 year old New Lanark buildings will glow on a grand scale whilst acting as a reminder of our national heritage. Augmented by the lights, the Falls of Clyde will also be illuminated, bringing together the living history and heritage of the river and the Site.
The historic environment forges connections between people and places, so it is fitting that on Scotland’s National Day, New Lanark will be shining a spotlight on the Site’s outstanding universal value on our patron saint’s day next week.
St Andrew has been celebrated in Scotland for over a thousand years, with feasts being held in his honour as far back as the year 1000 AD. However, it wasn’t until 1320, when Scotland’s independence was declared with the signing of The Declaration of Arbroath, that he officially became Scotland’s patron saint. Since then St Andrew has become tied up in so much of Scotland. The flag of Scotland, the St Andrew’s Cross, was chosen in honour of him. Also, the ancient town of St Andrews was named due to its claim of being the final resting place of St Andrew.
More recently, St Andrew’s Day has become more and more special to Scots and ranks as one of three major dates during the winter period. Starting off Scotland’s Winter festivities each year on November 30, people across the country gather together to celebrate St Andrew and share good times. The day is usually marked with a celebration of Scottish culture, including dancing, music, food and drink, with parties going on long into the cold winter nights.
To find out more about the St. Andrew’s Day lighting at New Lanark, click on www.newlanark.org
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