Events held to mark saint's day

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Events are to be held across Scotland to mark St Andrew's Day.

Some Scottish landmarks will turn blue to celebrate the nation's patron saint, including the Clyde Arc in Glasgow and St Andrew's Cathedral in Inverness.

There will be a ceilidh in Aberdeen, a medieval day in Dundee and a weekend of events in Edinburgh's Princes Street.

The festivities act as a precursor to the year of events planned to celebrate Scotland and its culture as part of the Homecoming Scotland campaign.

'Maximise tourism'

Culture Minister Linda Fabiani said: "This year is more than a celebration.

"It has a hard economic edge and represents an opportunity to promote modern Scotland and the Year of Homecoming in 2009, aiming to boost visitor numbers and maximise tourism revenue.

"St Andrew's Day marks the launch of the Winter Festival period which runs through Hogmanay to Burns Night and shows clearly that Scotland is a year-round visitor destination."

The weekend of activities in the capital includes a Happy March for children, music from Sandi Thom and The Dykeenies, along with nights of contemporary ceilidh music with Salsa Celtica.

Glasgow's George Square will play host to live music and dancing in the city's Shindig on the Square and in St Andrews itself entertainment includes a procession, outdoor music and entertainment.

A flock of blue sheep also appeared in central Scotland to mark the saint's day.

The sheep, coloured with animal-friendly paint, popped up near Junction 3a of the M8.