UPDATE, Sunday 12.45pm: THIS year’s Scots Day Out has been hailed a success.
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Director Chris Earl said while crowd numbers were down slightly because of the heat, there were still more than 3000 visitors to Rosalind Park for the event.
“I call them absolute Bravehearts in that weather,” Mr Earl said.
In its fifth year the event attracted more pipe bands than ever and more clans than ever.
Mr Earl said the re-enactment and sword groups were also larger than before.
“It brings together so many groups to celebrate,” he said.
In the pipe band competitions, the Hawthorn, City of Melbourne and Haileybury bands took out top spot in their respective grades.
But it was Bendigo’s own Golden City Pipe Band that claimed first place in the street march, best dressed and the march-off.
In the Central Victorian Highland Dancing Classic, Megan Majczyna won the premier 16 years and over, Cailey Finlayson the premier 15 years and under, Fionn Munro the novice level, and Skye Mihalec won the beginner grade.
Mr Earl said organisers would now begin reviewing the event, including the date.
He said they wanted to ensure Bendigo “continues to be a destination of choice for Scottish celebrations”.
EARLIER: THE 35-degree heat and searing sun of Saturday were far removed from typical Scottish weather, but that didn’t stop hundreds of people from Bendigo and across the state gathering to celebrate all things Scottish.
The 2017 Scots Day Out was opened with a parade down View Street that sent the music of highland bands – including that most evocative of Scottish sounds, the bagpipe – singing out across the Bendigo CBD.
The festivities continued in Rosalind Park, where the bands – which had travelled from across the region and the state – continued to play.
Stalls sold all manner of Scottish souvenirs, books and tartans.
Scottish food and drink was also on offer, including the famous haggis, cakes, tarts and biscuits made from recipes that were more than 317 years old, and Irn-Bru, Scotland’s most popular soft drink.
Free wagon rides, drawn by grand Clydesdales, proved to be popular.
Those looking for other entertainment were not disappointed, with highland dancers showing off their skills in the Central Victorian Highland Dancing Classic.
There were also clashes involving swords, spears and axes put on by the Gullsborg Dark Ages Society, a Bendigo re-enactment society (Gullsborg meaning ‘gold town’ in Old Norse).
The Vikings settled in parts of Scotland in the Dark Ages and many Scots today have Norse ancestry.
“The Vikings went everywhere,” ‘jarl’, or chieftain of the group, Joel Nicholson said.
Performers from NEXUS Bendigo Youth Theatre also got involved and people could try their hand at sword-fighting and traditional highland games.
Those who were more literary-minded could discover more about Scotland’s best-loved poet from the Robert Burns Club of Melbourne.
Secretary Noel Wright said the group aimed to promote the work and life of the prolific poet and lyricist.
Robert Burns is perhaps best known for penning Auld Lang Syne.
Mr Wright said Robert Burns wrote not only about Scotland, but about nature and people, producing more than 600 poems during his career.
There was also opportunity for people to celebrate and learn more about their own Scottish ancestry, with several clans represented at the event.
Among them was the Clan MacNeil Association of Australia.
“It’s to promote our clan, to encourage our members to get together and keep our culture alive,” Victorian representative Jean Buchanan said.
Ms Buchanan said she believed so many people continued to celebrate their Scottish heritage, even those whose closest Scottish relatives were generations back, because the Scots were “such a proud nationality, they’re very proud of their heritage”.
She said she travelled to gatherings around the state but Bendigo remained her favourite.
“It seems to get better every year,” she said.
The Scots Day Out festivities will continue on Saturday afternoon in Rosalind Park, with the finale of the event to take place at 5pm.
This will be followed by a ceilidh at the Metropolitan from 6.30pm.