Scottish food and craft stalls, Clan Corner and a highland dancing competition will greet thousands of people from 9.30am at Rosalind Park.

Event director Chris Earl said the street parade of pipe bands, clans, dancers and sword groups down View Street would be proceed as planned at 10.30am.

He said the withdrawal of two Melbourne school bands, unable to travel because of school heat policies, had enabled an earlier finish of 3pm for this year's event.

“An earlier start on one of the highland dancing platforms and additional fine-tuning of performance times at Ceilidh Corner have allowed us to retain the day’s program and framework with a finish at 3pm instead of 5pm,” he said.

Scots Day Out kicks off with stalls and highland dancing in Rosalind Park before the parade at 10.30am down View St. 

There will be 11 bands, a hundred highland and Scottish country dancers, Clans carrying banners and ceremonial gear and two martial arts sword groups.

From 11am through to 5pm the sounds of bagpipes, drums and folk music will fill the park, as the crowd has a taste of haggis, venison, shortbread, and Scotland’s number one selling soft drink IRN-BRU.

This year’s program has been expanded to include Scottish storytelling and facepainting in the style of Mel Gibson’s Braveheart.

“We have 14 local organisations involved in the day and an army of volunteers helping Golden City Pipe Band as we celebrate Scottish culture and showcase Bendigo in the unique central-city location of Rosalind Park,” Mr Earl said.

“People are coming from all parts of Victoria and even New South Wales, Queensland and South Australia to be part of this fantastic day.”

There will also be interactive dancing sessions and judging to find the best Athol Brose, shortbread and Mel Gibson look-a-like.

More details available at www.scotsdayout.com