Highland 2007, along with VisitScotland Highland and Caledonian MacBrayne, will be showcasing the Highlands and Islands of Scotland as a great place to live and visit to the thousands of visitors expected in the Scottish Village, Grand Central Terminal, New York during the forthcoming Tartan Week celebrations (31 March – 8 April).

Highland 2007 will be part of the Highlands and Islands of Scotland zone. This year’s Scottish Village is themed around Scotland’s international events and festivals so provides an excellent platform to showcase some of the best the Highlands and Islands have to offer in terms of the vibrant contemporary culture and bold heritage of the area.

Promoting traditional Gaelic song from the Highlands and Islands on the Scottish Village stage will be Morven MacLeod and Fiona Mackenzie. Morven is a past winner of the Silver Pendant at the Royal National Mod as well as being project officer with Highland 2007. Fiona won the 2005 An Comunn Gaidhealach Gold Medal for Gaelic singing at the Royal National Mod and is the Mairi Mhor Gaelic Song Fellow for The Highland Council and Gaelic project officer with Highland 2007. Both are members of the Inverness Gaelic Choir, winners of the Royal National Mod’s Lovat and Tullibardine Shield for the last two years.

Fiona and Morven will perform, both solo and as a duet, a variety of Gaelic songs which demonstrate the diversity and beauty of the Gaelic language and culture. Including work songs, love songs, songs of the emigrant experience and puirt a beul or ‘mouth music’. They will also give visitors to the Scottish Village lessons in Gaelic song – including the famous waulking songs involving actions as well as words!

Out with the Scottish Village, VisitScotland Highland area director, Scott Armstrong, will take part in the Scotland Run 10k in Central Park on Sunday 1 April.

Scott said: “The US is still Scotland’s biggest overseas market. There is enormous interest in the Highlands from people in America, particularly those tracing family roots. Tartan Week is a fantastic opportunity for us to promote the Highlands and Islands and to encourage more Americans to visit. ”

Highland 2007 is also a major sponsor of this year’s Dressed to Kilt event, along with Citigroup, Mercedes Benz and various others. Highland 2007 will appear in all promotional material for the hugely popular and well publicised event and will be specifically affiliated with the ‘Highland Romance’ part of the fashion show on Monday 2 April.

Highland 2007 has worked with Dressed to Kilt organisers to incorporate Highland based designers into the show. Inverness designer Sandra Murray has several outfits in the Dress to Kilt catwalk show including a dress featuring the Highland 2007 Golden Broom tartan – designed by Mulbuie Primary School (SEE PHOTOGRAPH).

Alison Magee, chair of Highland 2007 said: “We are delighted to be involved in VisitScotland’s Scottish Village again this year. And are really excited to be involved with Dressed to Kilt, it is one of the most high profile Scottish event in North America so will be a great opportunity to promote the Highlands and Islands to a massive audience.

“We’re also pleased that once again we will be able to showcase our fantastic Gaelic singers, Fiona and Morven, in New York. Their amazing talent was hugely appreciated last year and captivated the crowds who attended the Scottish Village.”