Over 16,000 people enjoyed free community and music events at Ross Bandstand over the St Andrew’s Day weekend celebrations, presented by Edinburgh’s Christmas.
Edinburgh Christmas, Red Hot Chilli Pipers
Among many others, audiences danced to the famous Red Hot Chilli Pipers (pictured) and whirled-away to The Sensational Jimi Shandrix Experience, renowned as one of the top ceilidh acts in the world!
Edinburgh’s Christmas events and activities continue until 4 January!
The Gaelic and Scots languages have gained official status as people across Scotland celebrate St Andrew’s Day.
The designation forms part of a range of measures coming into effect today through the Scottish Languages Act 2025.
These include powers for ministers to commission research into the use of Gaelic and Scots and establish teaching standards for the languages.
Other measures of the Act include:
empowering parents to ask for a Gaelic school to be established in their area
supporting the creation of areas of linguistic significance in Gaelic communities so that ministers can better target policies to support the language’s growth
enabling parents in every part of Scotland to apply for Gaelic nursery and early years places for their children
ensuring that more qualifications are available in Gaelic
introducing targets on the number of people speaking and learning Gaelic
Deputy First Minister Kate Forbes said: “St Andrew’s Day is a fitting time to celebrate Scotland’s identity by recognising Gaelic and Scots as official languages. This is a historic milestone which acknowledges the vital place these languages hold in Scotland’s culture and heritage.
“This has been made possible through the Scottish Languages Bill which received unanimous support from MSPs.
“To support the continued growth of both languages the Scottish Government has already allocated £35.7 million for Gaelic and Scots initiatives this year, ensuring that this milestone translates into meaningful change for communities across the country.”
The Scottish Languages Bill was introduced on St Andrew’s Day in 2023. The Bill was passed in June and received Royal Assent on 1 August 2025.
A national survey has revealed that just 25% of people in Edinburgh celebrate St Andrew’s Day, and at a national level almost four in ten (39%) Scots are unable to identify the date of St Andrew’s Day, highlighting a surprising gap in awareness surrounding the country’s patron saint.
The research by ScotPulse which was commissioned by Aldi Scotland, found that while most Scots recognise St Andrew’s Day as the country’s national day, many are unsure of the date, and even fewer mark the occasion.
Just one in four (26%) Scots say they celebrate St Andrew’s Day, held annually on 30 November, with confusion rife across the nation about what date it actually falls on. Some mistakenly believe it happens on 25 November (11%), 29 November (8%), with an additional 8% also believing it falls on 31 November – a date that doesn’t exist. Others mix it up with Burns Night in January.
The survey also found:
Women are more likely than men to know the correct date (64% vs 57%).
Younger Scots are the least likely to know what date it falls on, with just 43% of 16–34-year-olds answering correctly.
Aldi is a prominent champion of Scottish food and drink, and Scotland’s leading supermarket for locally sourced products. In October, it was named in the NFU Scotland’s ShelfWatch 2025 Mid-Year Report as the most prominent retailer to support Scottish produce, with 41% of its shelf stock now sourced locally.
In honour of its position as the nation’s most trusted supermarket of Scottish goods, the retailer is helping Scots to celebrate St Andrew’s Day this year with a feast including locally produced food and drink, which has all been approved by modern day Andrews.
After surveying hundreds of Andrews, Andys and Drews across Scotland on their favourite festive flavours, Aldi Scotland has revealed the results of its nationwide search for the “Andrew Approved Feast.”
Following a social media vote, it was revealed that the most popular meal selection for St Andrew’s Day is:
Starter: Haggis Bon Bons with 52% of the votes
Main Course: Steak Pie with 66% of the votes
Side: Crispy roast tatties with 44% of the votes
Dessert: Scottish apple crumble with 42% of the votes
Drink: IRN BRU with 53% of the votes
Shoppers can pick up Aldi’s Andrew Approved Feast for less than a tenner, with the total cost coming to just £9.75:
Dessert: The Dessert Menu Bramley Apple Pie, 550g £2.99
Drink: Vive Iron Brew 2L £0.69
Sandy Mitchell, Regional Managing Director, Aldi Scotland said: “St Andrews Day is a key moment in Scotland’s cultural calendar and gives Scots the chance to reflect on our history and traditions. We were surprised to see that so many Scots don’t know when St Andrew’s Day is, and that so few actually take the time to celebrate it.
“At Aldi Scotland, we truly believe we have some of the best food and drink in the world, and we are proud to be a champion of local producers.
“St Andrew’s Day on 30 November is the perfect opportunity for everyone to come together, enjoy fantastic local food, raise a glass, and celebrate everything that makes Scotland such a special place.”
LifeCare is delighted to host a special St Andrew’s Day storytelling celebration led by storyteller Fergus. Families are invited to drop in for a fun-filled morning of stories, dancing, and crafts—perfect for children aged 3–10.
The free event will take place on Saturday, 29 November at 11am, with guests encouraged to wear something tartan to join in the spirit of the day.
This fantastic storytelling adventure is supported by the Scottish International Storytelling Festival’s Big Scottish Story Ripple initiative, organised by Traditional Arts and Culture Scotland (TRACS) and supported by the Scottish Storytelling Forum.
No booking required just come along to the Lthe LifeCare Hub, 2 Cheyne Street, Edinburgh, EH4 1JB
Forever Edinburgh is inviting residents to enjoy the next instalments of Resident Days,with dedicated rewards and experiences to mark Carers Rights Day on Thursday 20 November and St Andrew’s Day on Sunday 30 November.
These dates form part of the ongoing Resident Rewards programme, which thanks local people for their contribution to Edinburgh’s visitor economy by giving them exclusive access to free or discounted attractions, tours and cultural experiences across the city.
The upcoming Carers Rights Day Resident Day will recognise and support the city’s unpaid carers, delivered in partnership with Shared Care Scotland and VOCAL Carers Hub. A range of free and discounted offers will give carers the chance to take a well deserved break, unwind and reconnect with their city.
Later in the month, the St Andrew’s Day Resident Day will celebrate Scotland’s national day, with local businesses offering special rates and unique experiences for Edinburgh residents.
Together, these events encourage communities to rediscover the world class culture, hospitality and heritage on their doorstep.
Cllr Jane Meagher, leader of the City of Edinburgh Council, said:““Resident Days put our residents at the heart of the city’s visitor economy.
“Edinburgh is known across the world for its history and culture, but it is the people who live here who make it truly special. These rewards are a way of saying thank you and encouraging everyone to rediscover what makes our city so remarkable.”
Looking ahead, the programme will continue into the new year with a final date celebrating Burns Night on Sunday 25 January 2026.
Vision for progress in St Andrew’s Day address ahead of 2025-26 Budget
First Minister John Swinney will use an address ahead of St Andrew’s Day to outline his vision for government – and his determination to deliver government from the ground up.
The First Minister will set out the need for collaboration and consensus-building to deliver solutions to some of the problems facing communities in Scotland.
Speaking ahead of next week’s Scottish Budget, the First Minister will commit the Scottish Government to prioritising funding and investment needed to build on his four priorities – eradicating child poverty, growing the economy, investing in public services and tackling the climate emergency.
The First Minister is expected to say: “Scotland is best served when we collaborate, when we build consensus and work together across sectors, across disciplines and across cultures.
“The need to do so has never been more urgent. For the issues we face now are complex, pervasive and entrenched – and they are mounting.
“In these last seven years, we have seen global challenges stacked upon global challenges. From Brexit and COVID-19, to international conflicts, economic crises and climate disasters.
“On top of this, we have seen domestic problems, such as delayed discharge and the availability of housing, become more and more acute, due to rapidly increasing need in our society.
“Yet, too often – and particularly in politics – discussions and the public discourse are dominated by surface solutions, because they are the few that can gain consensus.
“The temptation then arises to throw money and strategies at a problem, or simply to find someone to blame for it, because the hard work of finding true consensus, of peer reviewing ideas in good faith, can feel unrealistic in our increasingly polarised reality.
“We must maintain enough hope and energy to work together, to understand the root causes and the complexity of problems and to find the right solutions.
“These solutions may not always be quick or easy – but that does not make them any less necessary. This is the approach that people should expect from a Swinney government.
“I want to bring people closer to their communities, which is particularly important in a country like Scotland, where the picture in the Central Belt or the Borders can be so different to the Highlands or the Islands.
“Being closer to our communities also makes it easier for us to bring those communities into policy-making: government from the ground up.”
Lamb took centre stage at the Scottish Parliament as part of Lamb for St Andrew’s Day, an initiative to encourage people across Scotland to celebrate with Scotch Lamb on the patron saint’s day.
Scotch Lamb was served, and sold out, in the canteen for Members of Parliament and staff at Holyrood, while the two key industry organisations driving the industry-wide campaign #LambForStAndrewsDay met with MSPs.
Quality Meat Scotland (QMS), which promotes the sustainable production, integrity and quality of red meat in Scotland, and the Institute of Auctioneers and Appraisers in Scotland (IAAS), the representative body for livestock marts in Scotland are behind the campaign, now in its 13th year, to make lamb synonymous with 30 November, as turkey is for Christmas and haggis for Burns’ Night.
At parliament, they spoke to a number of MSPs, highlighting the growing success of the Lamb for St Andrew’s Day campaign, which was celebrated internationally this year, both ahead of COP28 in Dubai and at the Ambassador’s Residence in Paris, and the need to support such an indigenous industry.
Sarah Millar, Chief Executive of QMS, said it was also an opportunity to discuss the economic, social and environmental influence of the £290m lamb sector in Scotland and areas for market growth.
“The export market is strong and growing due to a global appreciation of the quality of Scotch Lamb and its environmental credentials, but there is great opportunity to bring more UK consumers back to lamb to consolidate the home market,” she said.
“It ticks a number of boxes around nutrition, food miles and sustainability. Lamb production is a natural fit with Scotland’s high rainfall and plenty of available grass, producing a tasty, versatile homegrown red meat packed with nutrients.
“Every year the awareness built from the #LambForStAndrewsDay campaign has a tangible impact, boosting sales in the livestock rings as well as from retail shelves.”
Compared to beef, which in 2022 saw 19.2kg consumption per capita in Scotland, the equivalent in lamb is 2.2kg. Scotland is 186% self-sufficient in sheep meat so QMS is looking to maximise every possible market potential.
The #LambForStAndrewsDay campaign illustrates that lamb can be enjoyed on any budget and works well with different cuisines from across the world, promoted through QMS’s advertising and social media campaigns, as well as recipe inspiration on the Scotch Kitchen website.
In 2020, IAAS introduced The Lamb Bank, gathering financial and ‘lamb’ donations from across the industry to deliver lamb into schools, for free, in the last week of November. To date, 89,000 school children across Scotland have had the chance to cook, eat and learn about lamb in school canteens and Home Economics classes with 114 schools participating this year.
In the last three years, figures show that sales in the livestock marts to butchers and processors have increased every year in the month of November, demonstrating the growing impact of the campaign.
Neil Wilson said: “Our visit to Parliament today was another platform to demonstrate the positive impact of the lamb sector across the supply chain on Scotland’s economy, rural livelihoods and food security and why we need to drive lamb sales to protect and promote the profitable future of our industry.
“We had some really interesting, constructive conversations with Members of the Scottish Parliament, and it was a great that many of those we spoke to knew about the campaign, more than ever before – and that the canteen sold out of lamb!”
Cabinet Secretary for Rural Affairs, Mairi Gougeon, who met at AgriScot with both the Chair of QMS, Kate Rowell, and the President of IAAS, Alan Hutcheon, as part of Lamb for St Andrew’s Day, said: “I am pleased to be involved in this year’s Lamb for St Andrew’ Day campaign.
“This year, Scotch Lamb will be on the plates of decision-makers from Paris to Dubai. This is an excellent opportunity to showcase the very best that our sheep producers have to offer.
“The high quality of Scottish lamb gives it mass appeal to customers, and I know that this year’s campaign will help to enhance this message across the globe.”
The initiative is also supported by National Farmers Union (NFU) Scotland and the National Sheep Association (NSA). QMS provided Scotch Lamb for The National Sheep Association in Scotland St Andrew’s Dinner in Lauder this week, held for 100 people from across the industry.
WESTMINSTER’s Scottish Affairs Committee has published the UK Government’s response to its report on Promoting Scotland Internationally, in which MPs found the UK and Scottish Governments often collaborate well when promoting Scotland’s interests abroad but more work is needed to highlight modern Scottish successes.
In its report, the Committee found a clear strategy was needed to ensure UK embassies have access to guidance and clear expectations for holding events on key Scottish dates such as St Andrew’s Day.
The cross-party group of MPs recommended embassy staff of all levels be trained up on the current Scottish industry landscape and the UK Government’s priorities for Scotland in order to ensure a more consistent base of knowledge.
They also found more needed to be done to celebrate contemporary Scottish successes in fields such as scientific research, space and energy in addition to the more traditional attributes of the Scottish brand which still resonate on the international stage.
In its response, the UK Government highlighted past events but didn’t commit to implementing a strategy for celebrating key dates in the Scottish calendar across all embassies.
The UK Government also indicated senior staff receive adequate training but did not commit to giving staff of all levels updated training on the Scottish market and industry landscape.
The UK Government indicated agreement with the Committee that officials from the UK and Scottish Governments regularly work collaboratively overseas in order to deliver the best possible outcomes, and also acknowledged the importance of maintaining regular communication between teams.
The UK Government failed, however, to address a number of the Committee’s recommendations, including no commitment to provide specific information on the UK Government’s current priorities and objectives for promoting Scotland internationally.
Scottish Affairs Committee Chair Pete Wishart MP said: “Scotland is home to a fantastic array of research and development organisations, businesses and academic institutions – so it’s critical that Scotland’s success stories are promoted in a consistent and coherent way on the world stage.
“As a Committee, we found there were differing levels of engagement and knowledge related to Scotland’s key interests around the globe as well as a lack of a clear idea of exactly what the UK Government’s priorities are for promoting Scotland internationally.
“As Scots worldwide celebrate St Andrew’s Day, I’m disappointed that the extent to which embassies around the globe are telling the nation’s story and celebrating Scottish culture will remain inconsistent.
“Unfortunately, it was hard to identify a clear plan which will ensure Scotland receives the international recognition it deserves. It is, therefore, difficult to see how the UK Government will fully support Scotland to maximise the potential offered by our brilliant industries.”
Local communities, businesses, tourist attractions, retail units, charities and transport providers across Scotland have come together to share a message of kindness in the run-up to St Andrew’s Day today, in efforts to highlight the importance of community and compassion for others and the environment that we live in.
A special kindness-themed illustration to support the Scottish Government’s St Andrew’s Day campaign, featuring the message ‘When Kindness is Shared it Grows’ by Edinburgh-based artist Emily Hogarth has been created,inspired by the many small acts of kindness that have made a positive difference to many across the country this last year.
Organisations right across the country have lent their support across the weekend in the lead up to Scotland’s national day.ScotRail, Loganair and Stagecoach were among the transport groups that displayed and broadcast messages across their networks, from Edinburgh’s iconic Waverley Station to Inverness Station.
From Dundee City Square to Edinburgh’s Festival Theatre and St James Quarter to the V&A Museum, the message of kindness was also displayed in the form of clean graffiti in Scotland’s cities. Passers-by were encouraged to stop and reflect this St Andrew’s Day, and importantly, to share kindness with others.
Up to 100 individual cultural and community events have been taking place in cities and towns around the country to mark St Andrew’s Day, delivered by EventScotland, BEMIS Scotland, the Fair Saturday Foundation and the English Speaking Union Scotland on behalf of the Scottish Government.
Many events were also broadcast online, bringing more people together from further afield to enjoy the celebrations – both in Scotland and beyond.
The Scottish Government has provided funding support of up to £430,000 to deliver Scotland’s Winter Festivals event programme in 2021/22 which provides a significant opportunity to boost Scotland’s dynamic tourism and event sectors as they progress towards post-pandemic economic recovery and bring diverse communities together to celebrate the resilience, community spirit and shared kindness.
For further information on the Andrew’s Day events programme visit:
Scotland’s community foundation has distributed over £130 million to date
Foundation Scotland, Scotland’s community foundation, is marking the organisation’s silver anniversary this St Andrews Day – also aptly ‘Giving Tuesday’ this year.
Originally established in 1996 as ‘Scotland’s Community Foundation’, the major funder has distributed more than £130 million to charitable organisations, social enterprises, and community groups operating across Scotland since its launch 25 years ago.
Set up with an initial group of three staff, the Edinburgh-based foundation now has over 30, managing around 100 different national and local funding programmes each year.
Earlier this year the foundation began offering investment for social enterprises following the integration with Resilient Scotland, further expanding the breadth of financial support offered to charitable groups and enterprises.
Through the pandemic, Foundation Scotland awarded over £1.1 million in crisis support grants to 268 Edinburgh-based community projects.
Supported groups included The Eric Liddell Centre, East Lothian Roots and Fruits, Sikh Sanjog, Bridgend Farmhouse and The Edinburgh Tool Library (above).
Quite often, groups can be eligible for more than one source of funding from the foundation and some organisations have received ongoing support from Foundation Scotland for many years.
The team pride themselves in getting to know and understand funded groups, supporting them with essential funding and vital advice to help them to develop and sustain their services.
Giles Ruck, Chief Executive at Foundation Scotland, said: “We are proud to be Scotland’s community foundation. For 25 years, we’ve maintained the vision of supporting confident, thriving, resilient communities across Scotland.
“And for every community to thrive, it should be resourced to match its vision and powered by transformative funding. That’s where we come in. Over the last quarter of a century, we have connected the generosity of donors, corporates and individuals, to enable and empower vital projects and grassroot-led change.
“As we look ahead, we will continue to work hard to reach and connect with new donors keen to distribute funds effectively at a local level so that together we can continue to deliver extraordinary support.”
The generosity of local donors
Foundation Scotland is an independent charity. The funds awarded to projects within Scotland’s communities are thanks to the generosity of donors who support the foundation’s work.
The breadth of donors includes individuals, families, companies, community bodies and other charities who distribute funds. The foundation connects donors funds with community organisations working on the ground, ensuring their support stays relevant to local circumstances and delivers real impact.
Even throughout the pandemic, new donors have come on board, and new funds have opened to help support communities through the crisis and beyond.
In the summer of 2020, Edinburgh-based investment company Martin Currie approached Foundation Scotland to design and brand a new fund to help them support charities and community groups in Edinburgh, with consideration for projects across Scotland.
Their priorities were to address inequality and support initiatives that improved social and environmental sustainability. The Martin Currie Community Partnership Programme launched in September, and to date has awarded almost £44,000 between 8 organisations Recent grantees include Edinburgh Remakery, Venchie Children and Youth Project and the Salisbury Centre.
Jennifer Mair, Chief Operating Officer for Martin Currie said: “The Martin Currie Community Partnership Programme (MCCPP) is delighted to partner with Foundation Scotland to support local charities that promote diversity and inclusion, or social and environmental sustainability.
“The MCCPP was established in 2020 and focusses on the communities where we live and work by partnering with and building deep and lasting relationships with organisations who are well placed to help us deliver Martin Currie’s goal to improve lives.”
Case Study: The Melting Pot
The Melting Pot is Scotland’s Centre for Social Innovation. Based in Edinburgh’s city centre on Carlton Road, the organisation runs a large coworking hub, meeting venue and events programme for charities, social businesses, campaigners and freelancers.
Foundation Scotland has supported The Melting Pot for over 15 years. The organisation received its first award from the funder back in 2006 and has received £120,000 from a number of different funds to support their growth and development since 2006.
Claire Carpenter, Founder and CEO of The Melting Pot said: “Foundation Scotland have been an instrumental investor for me and The Melting Pot. They’ve been part of the birthing story – twice now!
“Back in the 00’s when “Coworking” wasn’t a thing you could Google, they saw the potential in my big, novel and very practical idea to better support our sector, in all its diversity. Then, due to Covid, the landscape changed once again – for good.
“We’ve been able to play to each other’s strengths to help #BuildBackBetter. I’m looking forward to seeing how together we co-create the conditions for social innovators to thrive in the years ahead.”
More Info:
From grantmaking to social investment opportunities, legacies to bursaries, Foundation Scotland is continually developing innovative and effective ways for donors to help Scotland’s communities thrive.
Anyone interested in finding out more can contact:
