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Scottish New Yorkers Celebrate Tartan Day

By DNAinfo Staff on April 10, 2011 11:37am  | Updated on April 11, 2011 6:24am

By Tara Kyle

DNAinfo Reporter/Producer

MIDTOWN — New Yorkers with Scottish roots donned the tartan to celebrate their heritage Saturday.

Some 3,000 marchers followed this year's Grand Marshal, Lord Provost of Glasgow Bob Winter, up Sixth Avenue for the annual Tartan Day Parade.

Participants included civilian and military pipe bands, dance troupes and a mix of representatives of Scottish clans.

Among the onlookers bearing blue and white Scottish flags was dance instructor Margaret Bunten, 48, of Kilmarnock, Scotland.

Holding a Royal Stewart tartan in hand, Bunten said she'd wanted to attend New York's Tartan Day for years.

"It's great to hear the pipes — you never hear them at home except at the festival in Edinburgh," Bunten said. "It usually makes you cry to hear them.

The marchers were joined by 130 tartan-wearing Scottish and West Highland Terriers, bearing names including "Ewan McGregor."

Among them was a Westie named Charlotte, dressed in tartan  by her owner, half-Scottish Sophie Santillan of Queens.

"She's very happy to be with the Westies," Santillan, 23, said of her dog. "I think we're both very proud to be here."