Welcome Message
First Minister, the Right Honourable Alex Salmond MP MSP.
Earlier this month I had the privilege to travel to China to promote Scotland. I was joined by the Cabinet Secretary for Education and Lifelong Learning, Fiona Hyslop. Our visit, taking in Beijing, Shanghai and Hong Kong provided an ideal opportunity to enhance Scotland’s already strong links with China in education, business and culture. I was particularly proud to be able to promote Scotland’s impressive strengths in areas such as the life sciences and renewable energy, which offer substantial opportunities for cooperation.
Scottish and Chinese relationships in the creative industries are developing well. A perfect example is the “Scottish Cinema of Dreams Festival” which took place in Beijing in March. Hosted by Tilda Swinton and Mark Cousins, the festival is the latest in a series of Scottish/Chinese cinematic exchanges. Find out more in our feature entitled "Scottish Film Goes Down a Dream in China".
The Year of Homecoming continues apace, attracting many new visitors to Scotland. Homecoming celebrates some of Scotland’s major contributions to the world – Scottish innovation and invention; great minds and the Enlightenment; whisky; the game of golf; and Scottish heritage and culture. There truly is an event to meet every taste, with exhibitions, music, theatre, cultural events and much more. The Homecoming Sessions will offer over 300 traditional music events all year throughout Scotland. Our feature "A Sporting Feast" provides a taste of just some of the major sporting highlights throughout this fantastic year for Scotland.
The Gaelic language is an integral part of Scottish identity and Scottish culture. In recent decades, numbers of Gaelic speakers have fallen. However, the Scottish Government is committed to reversing this trend and to ensuring a vibrant future for Gaelic language and culture. You can find out more about our Gaelic Plan and the exciting developments underway in our feature entitled Scotland’s Gaelic Language.
