A TEAM of young bagpipers and drummers from a Kilmacolm school have returned home after an 'amazing' trip which saw them march through the iconic streets of New York City in a celebration of Scottish heritage.
Around 60 pupils from St Columba’s School recently travelled to the Big Apple to take part in the famous Tartan Day parade.
Held annually in April, the event sees thousands of bagpipers, Highland dancers and clan organisations come together for week-long festival recognising the contributions made by Scottish Americans to the United States.
This year's parade was led by grand marshal Sam Heughan - known best for his role as Jamie Fraser in Outlander.
Organised by piping and drumming programme manager Gordon Bruce, the Kilmacolm band's trip saw pupils ranging from primary seven to S6 travel to New York.
The group was made up of young pipers, as well as tenor, snare and bass drummers.
Pupils marched along Sixth Avenue between West 45th Street and West 55th Street, for which they each received a commemorative pin.
St Columba's has run several pipe band trips to New York since 2002, with pupils starting a 'flash mob' tradition during recent visits.
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In 2017, they performed at Grand Central Station, as well as playing in Times Square in 2023.
Carrying on the tradition this year, the band thrilled crowds as they marched across Brooklyn Bridge towards Queens.
During their downtime in New York, the pupils visited the Empire State Building, attended a Mets baseball game, and enjoyed a trip to the theatre to see Aladdin on Broadway.
Rector Victoria Reilly said: "It was an amazing experience for our pupils.
“They were great ambassadors for our school and we are very proud to have them represent us on a global stage."
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