Is the Tartan Army visiting Dunedin? Social media chatter sparks talk of Scottish visit

DUNEDIN, Fla. - Social media chatter sparked excitement in Dunedin after posts from a local Scottish group and the governor suggested the Scotland national football team's supporters might visit the city.

Dunedin soccer rumors

What we know:

The New World Celts Dunedin Chapter posted an invitation Wednesday night asking the Tartan Army soccer fans to visit. The governor also reposted an X user claiming the fans were "allegedly making its way up from Miami to Dunedin," calling it a "fitting stop."

Local businesses, including Flanagan's Irish Pub, prepared for the crowds Thursday while the city welcomed the group on Facebook. Late Thursday afternoon, the Tartan Army announced on social media that most fans are heading home, because Dunedin is too far from Miami.

Business crowd preparations

What they're saying:

"Early this morning, all the owners [of downtown businesses], we’re on a group text doing all the things we needed to prepare," Jason Seibert, the owner of Flanagan's Irish Pub and Rosie’s Tavern, said Thursday afternoon. "We have a lot of people scheduled to come in. So, we have plenty of staff, and then we've talked to the beer companies to make sure that they know that when we run out of beer, bring it from the warehouse."

Alan McHale, the director of Scottish American Society of Dunedin, expressed hope but realism before the update. 

"We would love the Tartan Army to come through Dunedin," McHale said. "What more appropriate time would there be for that to happen? But we think it's unlikely, and if it's like Brigadoon, and it happens once in a lifetime, we would love it to be here."

Heritage and history

Local perspective:

Though the Tartan Army didn't show up to Dunedin Thursday evening, that didn't stop locals from embracing the city's Scottish roots. Outside downtown, bagpiper Iain Donaldson performed in hopes his music might attract a few late arrivals.

"Maybe our playing tonight was a call to bring them out," Donaldson said. "So maybe they're on their way."

Donaldson said he's been amazed by the support Scotland's fans have shown throughout the World Cup.

"The amount of people that come over here and the amount of money they spent to get here, and for this long a time, it's really incredible," he said.

Inside Dunedin Brewery, free pints were offered to anyone wearing a kilt. Janette Pomeroy, the president of the New World Celts, stopped by wearing one alongside her pet duck, Nibbles, known around town as the "Duck of Dunedin."

"We are very excited to have the Tartan Army show up, whether it's 10 of them or 10,000 of them," Pomeroy said. "Dunedin is ready."

Michael Norman Bryant, the owner of Dunedin Brewery, said the city was ready if the famous supporters arrived.

"They ran Boston supposedly out of beer, they're not going to run Dunedin out of beer," Bryant said. "I mean, we got what, six other breweries."

Bryant said the Tartan Army has become one of the feel-good stories of this year's World Cup.

"The way they've been welcomed is a big deal and embraced by Americans," he said.

The backstory:

Scottish merchants founded Dunedin in the 1800s, naming it after the Scottish Gaelic word for Edinburgh. The city maintains strong ties to its heritage through its sister city relationship with Stirling, Scotland, its pipe bands and the annual Highland Games.

"We're always very proud of our Scottish heritage here," Robert Peirson, the founder of the New World Celts and past president of the Scottish American Society, said. "We're very happy with the way Dunedin has embraced our Scottish culture and the commissioners now even have their own kilts that they wear proudly, and we also have one of the best Highland Games in Florida."

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