A Happy St Andrew's Day to all of you.

Throughout the world, St Andrew's Societies will be hosting a variety of events to celebrate their Scottish heritage. What will feature at all these events is the Saltire, otherwise known as the cross of Saint Andrew. Panalba is featuring an article on how St Andrew became the Patron saint of Scotland , and why his cross is so strongly associated with the Saltire, one of the oldest national flags in existence today. Roddy Martine's blog will bring you up to date with some of the activities taking place in Scotland.

IMPORTANT NEWS FLASH
I can confirm that plans are afoot to host another International Clan Gathering in Stirling in early July 2014 as part of the 2nd Year of Homecoming. It is too early to provide any detail, but rest assured that Panalba will be keeping you up to date. As you can imagine there will be a lot to report as we get closer to 2014, but in the interim we will keep you abreast of any relevant developments.

Stirling sits right in the middle of Scotland and through its combination of road and rail provides easy access to the rest of the country. The centrepiece of Stirling is its magnificent castle, recently renovated to capture the spirit of 16th century Scotland. No trip to Scotland could be considered complete without a visit to this historical landmark.

As if that was not enough, the country will be celebrating the 700th anniversary of the battle of Bannockburn, a decisive battle that forged the nation of Scotland. The National Trust of Scotland will be commemorating the battle with a series of events and a brand new visitor centre.

All this is but part of a greater Homecoming programme. Glasgow will be hosting the Commonwealth Games and Gleneagles will be hosting the Ryder cup . Not all at the same time, of course, but close enough to seriously consider renting a house and spending all summer in Scotland!