With the lifting of the pandemic restrictions, JP had a vision: bring the town together for a community kilt skate and combine it with a celebration of Scotland’s National Poet.
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The winter of 2023 is shaping up as one of the biggest and varied kilt skate seasons yet. New communities are coming to the party, and they are coming up with new ways to organize a kilt skate.
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Nobody celebrates New Years Eve like the Scots and, in Canada, nobody throws a New Year’s Eve party like the Scottish Society of Ottawa — tonight they are offering their 11th annual “Hogman-eh!” at Ottawa’s Lansdowne Park.
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The SSO kicked off this year’s OttScott Festival with a St. Andrew’s Day Scottish flag raising ceremony at Ottawa’s City Hall.
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The Great Canadian Kilt Skate will unite Canadians across the country as people pull on their kilts, tartans and skates and take to ponds, lakes, and backyard rinks.
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Robert Burns was a Scottish poet and lyricist often thought of as the national poet of Scotland. This January, he’ll be celebrated around the world, including here in Ottawa with a fantastic dinner.
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Hogman-eh! – the annual Scottish-style New Year’s Eve celebration – is the largest Hogmanay celebration outside of Scotland.
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The first ten years of the Scottish Society of Ottawa have seen abundant growth and success. With gratitude and glad tidings, we hope you enjoy reading highlights about our founders, the builders, and the legacy of the past ten years, and that you will come along with us as we continue into our second decade and beyond.
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After two years when public health protocols forced cancellation of scheduled events, community Kilt Skates will return to Montreal and Calgary.
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With the 2023 kilt skate season just weeks away, the Scottish Society of Ottawa (SSO) has produced a video highlighting a Canadian tradition that continues to grow and flourish.
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Nancy chats with Ron Robertson, a 5th generation descendant of John Robertson coming to Canada in 1821.
Read MoreWinter is coming and, with it, a new kilt skate season.
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The Scots have two words that indicate two sides of the Scottish character. THRAWN describes people who do something with tenacity and conviction – even when it seems a bit crazy. BRAW describes something that is pleasant and enjoyable: FUN. These two words personify the challenge and fun of the Great Canadian Kilt Skate (GCKS) organized by the Scottish Society of Ottawa (SSO) and communities across Canada. What is it? Why do they do it? How can you join the fun too? Read on.
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We all experience Remembrance Day and an appreciation of what has gone before in our own way. How can we ensure the memories are lasting, the gratitude real? Stories and symbols of all kinds help us remember and learn about those who served and their sacrifices. And increasingly the poppy itself as the overarching symbol of remembrance, communicates engaging and powerful messages.
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As the Scottish Society of Ottawa celebrates 10 years in the making, Nancy Dupuis interviews some of its founding members. Emmett recounts the days of formin’ stormin’, and normin’.
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Nancy writes her next installment on early Scottish settlers in the Upper Canada area, this time focusing on the interesting history of mills.
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