"National Tartan Day" Scottish Heritage Tour

National Tartan Day is a North American celebration of Scottish heritage. It's officially on April 6 each year, the exact date on which the Declaration of Arbroath was signed in 1320.

Due to the pandemic this tour has been rescheduled to Sept 27 so we will celebrate "National Tartan Day" in spirit if not on the exact date. :-)

To commemorate this special day we have arranged for a fun and educational day trip for you that includes a guided tour at Ruthven Historic Mansion (built by a Scot), a Scottish High Tea for lunch (naturally!), bagpipe entertainment during the lunch and after lunch a wonderful hour of Scottish poetry, folk songs and music, a traditional piping in of the haggis and a group sing-along of Auld Lang Syne (written by the famous Scottish bard Robbie Burns).

FYI, some of the well-known Canadians of Scottish descent include Sir John A. Macdonald, Lord Elgin, William Lyon Mackenzie, Lord Beaverbrook, Norman Bethune & Farley Mowat to name just a few. Did you know that in the 2016 Census of Canada, a total of 4,799,005 Canadians, or 14 per cent of the population, listed themselves as being of Scottish origin?!

1-Day Trip
Sun Sept 27, 2020

Reserve a Seat

Price

$149

All prices are per person, in Canadian dollars. All taxes and tips are included!

To book over the phone
please call (866) 208-2950

Inclusions

Round trip transportation on deluxe bus with a washroom and WiFi.
Admission and guided tour of the mansion of Ruthven Mansion included.
Scottish High Tea for lunch included.
Live bagpipe entertainment during lunch included.
Piping in of the haggis followed by 1 hour of Scottish folks songs, poetry & music included.
Complimentary bottled water and snacks on the bus.
Escorted tour with ShortTrips.ca tour director available during tour.
All tips & taxes included!

Pickup Locations

8:30 AM • Vaughan Woodbridge Square Plaza, Weston Rd & Hwy 7
9:00 AM • York Mills Subway Station
9:30 AM • Mississauga McDonalds, Courtney Park & Hurontario
10:20 AM • Oakville/Burlington Appleby Line Carpool Lot

Approximate Return Times

Appleby Line 4:30 PM
Mississauga 5:10 PM
York Mills 5:55 PM
Vaughan 6:35 PM

Deposits, Payments, Cancellations & Refunds

100% full refund if you cancel at least 14 days before the trip departure date.
Sorry but no refunds if cancellation is received less then 14 days before trip departure date.
You can transfer your seat to anyone else you know up to the time of departure without penalty.

Travelling With Children

Children 10+ are welcome on this tour. Price is the same as adults.

Tour Highlights

Ruthven Park

James Thompson immigrated to Canada in 1785 from Roxburghshire in Scotland. Ruthven Mansion was built by his son, David Thompson in 1845 (he also built the Welland Canal).

The mansion is filled with furnishings and possessions owned by five successive generations of the family and eventually passed on to the Lower Grand River Trust which maintains and operates Ruthven National Historic Site today.

Our visit today includes a guided tour of the mansion.

Piping In The Haggis

Everyone stands as the haggis is brought in. It is usually brought in by the cook on a large dish, generally while a bagpiper leads the way to the host's table, where the haggis is laid down. "A Man's A Man for A' That", "Robbie Burns Medley" or "The Star O' Robbie Burns" might be played and then the host recites the Address to a Haggis.

After the piping in of the haggis, you will have an opportunity to enjoy our local entertainer who will perform traditional Scottish folk songs, music & poetry and finish with a rousing group sing-along of Auld Lang Syne.