A PRO-independence group of musicians from the picturesque South Catalan village of Horta de Sant Joan are trying to strengthen cultural links with Scotland with a view to establishing an annual “men with kilts” day.
They held their first event last year when they all wore “Scottish skirts” and now they’ve set as one of their goals establishing “the right of men to wear skirts” as an annual event.
Ignacio Corrons, one of the organisers, told The National: “Our story is very new. We are a group of people with different backgrounds, we have a Polish guy, two Catalan guys and me, who recently have come back after 11 years in Australia, and we all met here, in Horta de Sant Joan.
“We started last year as some of us have been in Scotland and fell in love with the culture and the people and we shared ours.
“Last year we organised our first meet up of men with Scottish skirts, and this year we will repeat the event, with the intention of making it an annual party.”
The group plans to put together a group of three musicians known as LUGH Music Celta, to play Celtic music and dance around their village.
The village is 130 miles from the Catalan capital Barcelona, and they want the event on September 6, or as soon as possible after it.
They are still awaiting a decision from their local council, although Corrons said that as it is “a very little village”, he was confident they would be allowed to go ahead.
Horta de Sant Joan is the birthplace of Manuel Pallares, a friend and companion of Pablo Picasso, who spent some time in the village during his youth.
He was later quoted as saying: “Everything I know I learned in Horta.”
Corrons added: “This event is shared with Scottish culture as we have same independentist goals, to defend the right of self-determination, the right to decide the freedom of our cultures and the right for men to wear skirts.
“We invite you to share this event … to integrate two cultures that share the same passion.”
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