Tartan Day joy for Duns shop

Daisy and Westie Holly wear the New York City Tartan Week tartan.

A Duns-based business is set to let the best-dressed dogs out in New York City next weekend as the city celebrates its annual Tartan Day.

Tartan Day has been celebrated in New York City since 1998, and this year, the Scotland Shop, which has its headquarters in Greenknowe, Duns, is set to sponsor the Dog Pack as they don their tartan collars and leads and scamper down Sixth Avenue with the grand marshal, TV presenter Gail Porter.

A ScotlandShop spokesperson told us: “Two pipe bands and a small but enthusiastic group of Scottish Americans marched from the British Consulate to the UN in the very first parade in 1999.

“Since then, it has grown to include hundreds of pipers, thousands of marchers and many more thousands cheering from the sidelines.

“This year is the 25th anniversary of the parade and set to be the biggest and best yet, and we can't wait!

“This special day has been in the ScotlandShop events diary for a few years now and we are the trusted merchandise partner of the National Tartan Day New York Committee, weaving their beautiful tartan and producing a whole range of fabulous garments and accessories to raise funds to keep the march down Sixth Avenue alive.”

The dog pack, now an intrinsic part of the parade, includes any of three categories of Celtic canine (Wee Highland Warrior Group, Highland Herders and Hebridean Hunting Hounds) will vie for best-dressed tartan dog prizes. The reward: a ScotlandShop tartan doggie gift bag and eternal glory.

If you’re planning a trip to the States next week, there is still time to sign up and march in the Big Apple with the canines, the ScotlandShop team and their fabulous tartan suited mascot, Tam the Tailor.

As well as the Tartan Day Parade on April 15, the ScotlandShop will run a pop-up shop throughout the week, inviting tartan lovers from across the city to come and peruse their extensive range of tartan woven in Scotland.

Sharing the clan history and heritage behind the range of garments and accessories is their passion, and having opened a store in Albany, NY last March this is another opportunity to meet more customers face-to-face.