In this week's Scottish Field podcast, we're crossing the Atlantic to find out about the New York City Tartan Day parade, when tens of thousands are expected to attend this weekend's event.

The New York City Tartan Day parade came from humble beginnings. In 1999, two pipe bands and a small but enthusiastic group of Scottish Americans, led by Grand Marshal and Academy Award-winning actor Cliff Robertson, marched from the British Consulate to the UN in the first New York City Tartan Day Parade. Since then, the annual NYC Tartan Day Parade has brought together thousands of people from across NYC, the United States, and Scotland by providing meaningful connections through the celebration of Scottish heritage and culture. 

This year's event will seeaward-winning Scottish actress Karen Gillan, famous for Doctor Who, Jumanji and Guardians of the Galaxy star Karen Gillan, as Grand Marshal.

The event, entering its 24th year, will be held in midtown Manhattan on Saturday, April 9, 2022, returning in person for the first time since 2019. Karen  will helm the parade, followed by a lively procession of Pipe & Drum bands, Highland dancers, Scottish family clans, Shetlander Vikings and more. The annual celebration of Scottish heritage and culture brings together a rich tapestry of participants along with many thousands of spectators. 

Kyle Dawson. President, National Tartan Day New York Committee,  spoke with Scottish Field about it.

You can find out more at www.nyctartanweek.org

We're joined by a  second guest this week, in author Charles E McGarry. He is the co-author of The Road to Lisbon.

More recently, his Leo Moran series of psychic detective fiction is published by BackPage Press. The Ghost of Helen Addison and The Shadow of the Black Earl were published to rave reviews. The third in the series, The Mystery of the Strange Piper, was released late last year.