Alex Salmond Celebrates Scottish Innovation On St Andrew's Day

First Minister Alex Salmond has used his St Andrew’s Day message to highlight Scotland’s proud history of invention and discovery as he extended a warm invite for overseas visitors to join in the country’s Winter Festival celebrations.

Recorded at Lochgelly Primary School in Fife following an invitation from a primary six pupil for the First Minister to visit, the message focuses on the impact the Scottish innovation of universal free education has had on Scotland’s history and the importance the excellent work being done in schools across Scotland has for our future.

During the message the First Minister is seen watching the school’s country dance practice and leading discussion on St Andrew before sending his warmest wishes to Scots and Scots at heart on the occasion of the national day.

Mr Salmond uses the film to extend an invite to the world to visit Scotland and join in our Winter Festival Celebrations, which run from St Andrew’s Day through Christmas and Hogmanay, then right through to Burns Night at the end of January.

The First Minister said: "St Andrew’s Day is a very special day in Scotland. A day when we celebrate Scotland’s history, our people, our culture, but above all a celebration of our people.

"Scotland is proud of its history of invention and discovery. We actually invented quite a bit of the modern world, from the telephone, to television to penicillin to beta blockers. However, perhaps – actually certainly – our greatest invention of all, the one that made all of the others possible, was the invention of universal free education.

"It’s fantastic to see schools like this encouraging the next generation of Scots to be inventive and creative. These are all deep seated characteristics of our nation and they will be as essential to our future success as they have been to our historic achievements."

(GK)