Second Scotland Homecoming - 2014

Scotland will build on the success of the Year of Homecoming by staging a second formal celebration in 2014, First Minister Alex Salmond said today. Homecoming 2014 will take place in the year that Scotland hosts the Commonwealth Games and the Ryder Cup and marks the 700th anniversary of the Battle of Bannockburn. The FM made the announcement on the same day an independent evaluation revealed the enormous benefits of the first year of Homecoming in 2009.

Homecoming 2009 generated several millions of pounds as well as much positive media coverage. The FM also launched a new digital archive that will showcase Homecoming 2009 to audiences at home and abroad. The Homecoming Scotland Digital Archives and Exhibition Project will allow users to learn more about Homecoming 2009 and increase interest in Homecoming 2014. The archives will be available online from January next year and a public exhibition will begin a tour of Scotland in the summer.

Mr Salmond said:

"In 2014 the eyes of the world will be on Scotland as the Commonwealth Games comes to Glasgow and the Gleneagles hosts the Ryder Cup and Scots at home and abroad mark the anniversary of Bannockburn. In this year of celebration, repeating the remarkable success and benefits of Homecoming 2009 is an excellent opportunity to attract tourism and investment and showcase the very best of Scotland.

The Homecoming archive underlines our reputation for innovation and has the potential to become a model for the future. This ground breaking new product will ensure that the success of the celebration of Scotland and its many contributions to the world will be available for everyone to enjoy for generations to come. 2014 has been designated as the next formal Homecoming year, but as this year's focus on food and drink indicates, the themes of Homecoming will be carried forward every year. This is crucial as we build on the success of 2009 and towards 2014."

Dr Mike Cantlay, Chairman of VisitScotland, also commented:

"In world tourism terms, Homecoming has been seen as a unique marketing tool by competing tourist destinations who would love the Diaspora that Scotland enjoys. The success of last year's Homecoming sparked huge interest in people all over the world, not only those with ancestral links to Scotland, but those who simply love this country. Working with businesses within the industry, VisitScotland will once again seize the tremendous opportunity that Homecoming represents. Whichever country visitors are travelling from in order to enjoy the wide-ranging celebrations in 2014, they can be guaranteed the warmest possible welcome to these shores and I have no doubt they will leave with memories they will treasure forever."

Dr Petra Wend, Principal and Vice Patron of Queen Margaret University which developed the archive program, said:

"Development of the Homecoming Archive presents a tremendously exciting opportunity for Queen Margaret University to collect, catalogue, and preserve materials associated with the Scottish Homecoming 2009 for the benefit of a very broad range of people, both in Scotland and across the world. We know that the archive will be of great use to all those involved in promoting tourism and economic development in Scotland, those considering tourism initiatives across the world, and scholars of today and future generations. We look forward to sharing the archives with a wide audience through an information-rich website and a travelling exhibition across Scotland."

< Paul Bush OBE, Chief Operating Officer of EventScotland, said:

"Scotland's events industry came out in force to support Homecoming 2009. Many events enjoyed their best ever year, with established events featuring Homecoming inspired activity selling out or breaking previous box office bests. This includes Scotland's international poetry festival StAnza, The Royal Highland Show and Spirit of Speyside Whisky Festival. Whilst events created specifically for the year, like Burns Light in Dumfries, captured the imagination of visitors and local people alike."

Homecoming Scotland 2009 was a temendous success and it is hoped to repeat that success in 2014.

Thanks to Barbra Bartz for this information